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GIFT  OF 
Agricultural   Educ.Div. 


THE  WILEY  TECHNICAL  SERIES 

FOB 

VOCATIONAL  AND  INDUSTRIAL  SCHOOLS 


EDITED   BY 

JOSEPH  M.  JAMESON 

QIKAIiD  COLLEGE 


THE  WILEY  TECHNICAL  SERIES 

EDITED    BY 

JOSEPH  M.  JAMESON 


TEXT   BOOKS  IN   AGRICULTURE 

NOW  READY 

Market  Gardening.  By  F.  L.  YEAW,  Manager, 
Oasis  Farm  and  Orchard  Company,  Roswell,  N.  M. 
Formerly  Professor  of  Market  Gardening,  Mas- 
sachusetts Agricultural  College,  vi  +120  pages, 
5  by  7.  36  figures.  Cloth,  75  cents  net. 

Studies  of  Trees:  Their  Diseases  and  Care.  By 
J.  J.  LEVISON,  Department  of  Parks,  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.  5%  by  8.  x+253  pages,  156  half-tone 
illustrations.  Cloth,  $1.60  net.  (Also  8  by  10^, 
loose  leaf.) 

Agricultural  Drafting.  By  CHARLES  B.  HOWE,  Bush- 
wick  Evening  High  School,  Borough  of  Brooklyn. 
New  York,  N.  Y.  viii  +63  pages,  8  by  10%.  45 
figures,  26  plates.  Cloth,  $1.25  net. 

Exercises  in  Farm  Dairying.  By  Professor  C. 
LARSEN,  Department  of  Dairy  Husbandry,  South 
Dakota  State  College.  Loose  leaf,  8  by  10l/2.  69 
Exercises.  Single  Exercises  two  cents  each.  Com- 
plete, $1.00  net. 

READY  IN  SEPTEMBER,  1915 

Farm  Crops  and  Soils.  By  Professor  A.  G.  MCCALL, 
Ohio  State  University. 

Agricultural  Chemistry.  By  Professor  T.  E.  KEITT. 
Clemson  Agricultural  College. 

Injurious  Insects.  By  DEAN  E.  D.  SANDERSON  and 
Professor  L.  M.  PEAIRS,  West  Virginia  University. 


For  full  announcement  see  list  following  index. 
1M.  6/10/15 


MARKET    GARDENING 


F.    L.   YE  AW 

Manager,    Oasis    Farm   and   Orchard    Company,    Roswell,    New    Mexico 

Formerly    Professor  of  Market   Gardening, 

Massachusetts  Agricultural  College 


FIRST    EDITION 
FIRST    THOUSAND 


NEW  YORK 

JOHN   WILEY  &  SONS,   INC. 
LONDON:   CHAPMAN  &  HALL:   LIMITED 

1915 


MAIN  Lt.KAKY-AGKICUl.TU.'fE 


,,  Copyright,    1915 

BY 

'     Tf.    L.   YEAW 


THE  SCIENTIFIC  PRESS 
IERT   DRUMMOND  AND  COMP 

BROOKLYN.  N.  Y. 


PREFACE 


THE  income  from  the  sale  of  vegetables  is  practically 
twice  that  produced  from  the  great  fruit  industries  of  the 
country.  Only  recently,  however,  is  Market  Gardening 
receiving  the  attention  that  it  merits  as  a  subject  in  which 
valuable  instruction  may  be  given  in  our  schools. 

The  purpose  of  this  little  manual  is  to  furnish,  in  a  con- 
densed and  usable  form,  information  concerning  methods 
and  best  practices  for  growing  and  marketing  the  com- 
moner vegetables.  It  is  designed  primarily  for  use  as 
an  elementary  text  on  market  gardening. 

Methods  for  the  propagation,  preparation  of  the  soil 
for,  planting,  cultivation,  harvesting  and  marketing  of 
twenty-three  of  the  more  common  and  hardy  vegetables 
are  considered  in  detail.  In  addition,  such  information 
is  given  concerning  soils,  fertilizers,  moisture  requirements, 
seeds,  germination,  the  preparation  and  care  of  hot  beds 
and  the  storing  and  packing  of  vegetables  as  is  necessary 
to  a  reasonably  complete  understanding  of  the  whole 
problem.  A  special  chapter  is  devoted  to  the  location, 
planning  and  care  of  home  and  school  gardens. 

Growers  of  vegetables  in  a  small  way  for  the  home 
table,  as  well  as  those  engaged  in  market  gardening  on 
a  commercial  scale,  it  is  believed,  will  find  this  a  practical, 
reliable  and  handy  guide. 

F.  L.  YEAW. 
ROSWELL,  N.  M. 
April,  1915. 

iii 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 
LOCATION  FOR  THE  MARKET  GARDEN.      CULTIVATION 

PAGE 

Market — Soil — Exposure — Labor — Water — Tools — Cultivation. .  .       1 

CHAPTER  II 

FERTILIZERS 

Stable  Manures — Composting — Chemical  Fertilizers — Nitrogen — 
Nitrate  of  Soda — Potash — Phosphoric  Acid — Complete  Fer- 
tilizers— Soil  Acidity — Lime — Green  Manures — Legumes — 
Ploughing  Under — Catch  Crops 9 

CHAPTER  III 
HOT  BEDS 

Uses — Location — Means  of  Heating — Construction — Preparation 

of  the  Manure — Care 19 

CHAPTER  IV 
SEEDS  AND  SEED  SOWING.    TRANSPLANTING 

Quality  of    the  Seed  —  Germination  —  Seed  Beds  —  Planting  — 

Transplanting 24 

CHAPTER  V 

IRRIGATION 
Moisture  Requirements  of  Plants — Methods  of  Irrigation 32 


vl  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  VI 

VEGETABLE  GARDENS 

PAGE 

The  Home  Garden — School  Gardens 36 

CHAPTER  VII 
STORING  AND  PACKING 

Storage  Cellars  and  Pits — Storing  Root  Crops — Celery — Onions 

and  Cabbage — Packing 43 

CHAPTER  VIII 
CROPS 

Propagation,  preparation  of  soil  for,  planting,  cultivation,  harvest- 
ing and  marketing  of  the  following :  1.  Asparagus.  2.  Beans. — 
3.  Beets. — 4.  Cabbage. — 5.  Brussels  sprouts. — 6.  Cauliflower. — 
7.  Celery. — 8.  Cucumbers. — 9.  Dandelion. — 10.  Egg  Plant. — 
11.  Horse-radish. — 12.  Lettuce. — 13.  Muskmelon. — 14.  On- 
ions.— 15.  Parsnips. — 16.  Salsify. — 17.  Pea. — 18.  Radish.— 
19.  Rhubarb. — 20.  Spinach.— 21.  Squash.— 22.  Sweet  corn. — 
23.  Tomatoes 53 


MARKET   GARDENING 


CHAPTER  I   -  /••'. ;..  •  :•  {  • ,%•  h '; 

'          »        3     ••>          } 

LOCATION  FOR  THE  MARKET  GARDEN.   CULTIVATION 

THE  location  of  the  market  garden  is  determined  by  a 
number  of  factors,  the  most  important  of  which  are  market, 
soil,  transportation  facilities,  labor  supply,  manure  supply 
and  water. 

1.  Market.     The  market,  and  nearness  to  market,  are 
of  first  importance  in  choosing  the  location  for  the  market 
garden.     The   grower  must  have  a   sure  and  dependable 
market  for  his  products;  the  larger  cities  generally  afford 
the  steadiest  and  most  dependable  markets.     Most  of  the 
products  of  the  market  garden  are  of  a  perishable  nature; 
if   the  garden  is  not    located    close  to  a  market,  within 
hauling  distance,  the  express  or  fast  freight  service  must 
be  efficient  and  dependable.     The  condition  of  the  roads 
is  of  vital  importance  to  the  grower  who  intends  to  haul 
his  produce  to  market  with  a  team  or  auto  truck. 

2.  Soil.     The  soil  is  of  secondary  importance  to  the 
market.     A  market  must  be  had  in  which  to  dispose  of 
the  produce;  but  a  good  gardener  can  build  up  and  improve 
the  average  soil  so  that  it  will  produce  good  crops  of  most 
vegetables,  while  it  might  be  impossible  to  create  or  build 
up  a  market. 


2  MARKET  GARDENING 

The  ideal  market  garden  soil  is  a  good  sandy  loam,  under 
laid  by  a  gravelly  subsoil.  Such  a  soil  warms  up  quickly 
in  the  spring,  never  bakes  or  puddles,  can  be  worked  soon 
after  &  rain,  can  be  worked  early  in  the  spring,  is  well 
drained  and  is  adapted  to  a  wide  range  of  crops. 

3.  Exposure.  The  land  should  slope  to  the  south  or 
southeast.  Such  an  aspect  assures  the  earliest  warming 
up  in  the  spring,  is ,  protected  from  cold  north  winds  and 
g1  the  greatest  amount  of  sunshine. 


FIG.  1. — Disc  Harrow. 

Windbreaks  are  desirable  and  may  be  temporary  or  per- 
manent. Temporary  wind  breaks  may  be  built  by  stick- 
ing brush  into  the  ground  or  constructing  a  tight  board 
fence  along  the  exposed  side.  A  more  permanent  wind- 
break is  to  be  had  by  planting  trees  close  together  along 
the  exposed  side;  this  will,  in  time,  form  a  compact  hedge 
which  is  very  efficient  in  breaking  the  wind. 


LOCATION  FOR  THE  MARKET  GARDEN      3 

4.  Labor.     The  market  gardener  is  dependent  upon  a 
quickly  available  and  cheap  supply  of  labor.     The  large 


FIG,  2. — The  Meeker  Smoothing  Harrow. 


cities  are  the  sources  of  such  a  supply  of  labor.     Intensive 
gardening  must  be  done  very  largely  by  hand  and  a  large 


FIG.  3.— Double  Wheel  Hoe. 


number  of  hands  must  be  available,  for  a  few  months'  time 
during  the  year,  for  the  successful  carrying  on  of  the  inten- 
sive market  garden.  The  larger  cities  also  furnish  a  large 


MARKET  GARDENING 


LOCATION  FOR  THE  MARKET  GARDEN      5 

supply  of  horse  manure  which  is  most  important  in  market 
gardening. 

5.  Water.    A  market  garden  is  not  completely  equipped 
unless  it  has  an  abundant  supply  of  water  for  irrigating 
the    crops   and   for  the  preparation    of  the  vegetables   for 
market.     The  gardener  should  not  depend  upon  the  rain- 
fall for  the  success  of  his  garden.     It  is  essential  that  water 
be   available  for  irrigation  whenever  the  conditions  demand 
it.     Practically  every  kind  of  vegetable  is  washed  when 
being  prepared  for  market  and  a  good  supply  of  pure  water 
is  necessary  for  this  work. 

6.  Preparation  of  the  Soil.    After  the  manure  has  been 
applied,  the  ground  should  be  well  ploughed.     Four  to  six 
inches  is  sufficient  depth  for  ploughing  in  most  cases;  too 
deep  ploughing  is  not  advisable  because  new  soil  is  brought 
to  the  surface  which  will  take  a  number  of  seasons  to  come 
to  a  proper  condition  for  the  growing  of  vegetables.     Fol- 
lowing the  ploughing,  the  soil  should  be  thoroughly  disced. 
A  double  cut-a-way  disc  harrow  is  the  best  tool  to  break 
up  lumps  and  with  which  to  get  the  soil  into  its  best  con- 
dition for  the'planting  of  garden  crops.     The  discing  should 
be  followed  by  an  application  of  a  high  grade  chemical  fer- 
tilizer which  should  be  mixed  with  the  top  soil  by  the  use 
of  a  peg  tooth  smoothing  harrow  or  by  the  use  of  a  Meeker 
disc  smoothing  harrow. 

When  the  soil  is  of  an  usually  poor  quality  or  is  somewhat 
heavy  and  lumpy,  it  is  advisable  to  follow  the  first  discing 
with  the  plough.  It  may  be  necessary  to  plough  the  ground 
three  times  to  get  it  into  proper  condition  for  such  a  crop 
as  lettuce.  The  first  and  last  ploughings  may  be  shallower 
than  the  second  ploughing  when  three  ploughings  are  made. 

7.  Cultivation.     The  vegetable  garden  must  have  fre- 
quent and  thorough,  but  shallow,  cultivation.     Most  vege- 


MARKET  GARDENING 


LOCATION  FOR  THE  MARKET  GARDEN      7 

tables  do  not  root  deeply  but  send  their  roots  out  quite 
near  the  surface.  The  cultivation,  if  carried  on  too  deep 
close  to  the  plants,  is  liable  to  injure  the  roots.  The  object 
of  frequent  cultivation  is  to  keep  down  the  weeds  and  to 
maintain  a  dust  mulch  for » the  conservation  of  the  water 
held  in  the  soil.  Cultivation  lets  the  air  and  sunlight  into 
the  soil  thereby  favoring  the  development  of  certain  ben- 
eficial bacteria  and  helping  to  make  available  the  plant 
food  applied  to  the  soil. 


FIG.  6. — Combined  Hill  and  Drill  Seeder  and  Wheel  Hoe. 

For  the  use  of  the  seed  drill  the  soil  must  be  in  a  smooth, 
mellow  condition,  free  from  lumps  or  coarse  material  that 
would  interfere  with  the  planting  or  with  keeping  the 
rows  straight.  The  Meeker  smoothing  harrow,  Fig.  2,  is 
the  best  tool  on  the  market  for  finishing  the  ground  pre- 
vious to  drilling  in  the  seed.  This  harrow  consists  of  four 
rows  of  small  discs,  placed  close  together,  two  rows  of  discs 
in  front  and  two  rows  behind  with  a  smoothing  plank  in 
the  middle.  This  harrow  will  leave  the  surface  in  as  fine 
condition  as  though  the  ground  had  been  hand  raked. 


8  MARKET  GARDENING 

When  the  rows  are  close  together  and  hand  work  must 
be  employed,  the  choice  of  tools  will  largely  determine  the 
cost  of  the  cultivation.  The  two-wheel  and  single-wheel 
hoes  are  commonly  used  in  cultivating  the  smaller  vege- 
table crops.  The  two-wheel  hoe  is  designed  and  intended 
to  run  straddle  of  the  row  with  a  wheel  each  side  and  close 
to  the  plants.  The  various  teeth  and  cutters  furnished  with 
the  double  or  single-wheel  hoes  are  adjustable  so  that  the 
cultivation  may  be  very  close  or  farther  from  the  plants. 
The  single-wheel  hoe  is  designed  for  use  between  the  rows. 
There  are  a  number  of  combination  seed  drills  and  wheel  hoes 
on  the  market  which  are  very  desirable  for  the  small  grower, 
the  cost  of  the  combined  tool  being  but  little  more  than  the 
cost  of  the  seed  drill  alone.  The  best  makes  of  the  combina- 
tion tools  allow  for  the  elimination  of  the  seed  drill  or  wheel 
hoe  attachments  as  may  be  desired.  Others  make  it  neces- 
sary to  use  both  the  seed  drill  and  the  wheel  hoe  attachments 
at  the  same  time;  the  drill  simply  being  thrown  out  of  gear 
and  the  teeth  attached. 


CHAPTER   II 
FERTILIZERS 

8.  Kinds.     There  are  three  general  sources  of  fertilizer, 
or  plant  food;  stable  manures,  chemical  fertilizers  and  green 
manures.     The  term  "  green  manure  "  is  used  to  designate 
such  crops  as  cow  peas,  crimson  clover,  rye  and  other  green 
crops  grown  for  ploughing  under.     Such  crops  add  humus  to 
the  soil  and,  when  a  leguminous  crop  is  ploughed  under, 
a  considerable  amount  of  nitrogen  is  also  added  to  the 
soil.     Green  crops  are  usually  ploughed  under  in  the  spring 
although  it  is  often  desirable  to  plough  the  crop  under  in  the 
fall. 

9.  Stable    Manures.     Stable    manures    are   more   gen- 
erally used  than  any  other  source  of  plant  food  for  grow- 
ing vegetables.     In  many  instances,  they  are  the  cheapest 
source  of  plant  food  obtainable,  as  when  the  grower  is  located 
near  a  large  city  and  the  stable  manure  may  be  had  at  small 
cost  or  for  hauling  it  away.     In  other  instances,  manure 
brings  a  good  price  and  is  often  shipped  long  distances  for 
the  market  gardener.     Rotted  stable  manure  is  the  best 
fertilizer  for  the  garden,  for  not  only  is  a  supply  of  quickly 
available  plant  food  added,  but  stable  manure  also  furnishes 
a  store  of  humus  in  its  most  desirable  condition  for  readily 
incorporating  with  the  soil.     Stable  manure  runs  compara- 
tively low  in  its  plant  food  value.     It  is  estimated  that  a  ton 
of  partly  rotted  stable  manure  is  worth  about    $2.00    for 
the  plant  food  contained  in  it;  it  is  of  course  worth  more 
than  this  to  the  gardener  because  of  its  supply  of  humus. 

9 


10  MARKET  GARDENING 

Humus,  or  rotted  vegetable  matter,  is  indispensable  for 
the  successful  growing  of  vegetables  or  any  other  crop. 
Humus  makes  the  soil  more  friable,  helps  it  to  hold  moisture, 
lightens  a  heavy  soil  and  makes  more  retentive  a  light  soil. 

A  soil  deficient  in  humus  is  hard  to  work,  bakes  quickly 
after  a  rain,  is  slow  to  warm  up  in  the  spring  and  is  very 
unfavorable  for  the  use  of  chemical  fertilizer.  If  humus 
is  not  present  in  a  soil,  the  chemical  fertilizer  applied 
will  largely  be  lost.  The  addition  of  humus  renders  the 
soil  fit  for  the  use  of  chemical  fertilizers,  and  furnishes  a 
condition  favorable  for  certain  chemical  changes  which 
constantly  go  on  in  the  soil,  and  for  certain  friendly  bacteria. 

Other  manures  used  in  vegetable  growing  are  sheep 
manure,  hen  manure,  cow  manure  and  hog  manure.  Hen 
and  sheep  manures  are  rich  in  nitrogen  and  their  store  of 
plant  food  is  quickly  available;  they  are  valuable  for  use 
as  a  top  dressing  or  for  crops  requiring  unusual  amounts 
of  nitrogen.  They  are  "  hot  "  manures  and  must  be  used 
with  care  else  the  crops  may  be  damaged  by  burning.  Cow 
and  hog  manure  are  cold  manures,  their  content  of  plant 
food  is  slow  to  become  available  except  when  they  are  well 
rotted. 

10.  Composting.  It  is  not  generally  desirable  to  apply 
fresh  horse  manure  to  land  intended  for  growing  vegetables. 
Fresh  manure  tends  to  the  production  of  top  at  the  expense 
of  the  root  in  many  crops.  The  general  practice  in  using 
stable  manure  is  to  compost  it  for  a  considerable  time 
before  applying  it  to  the  soil.  Rotted  or  partly  rotted 
stable  manure  has  it?  store  of  plant  food  in  a  quickly 
available  condition,  which  is  very  desirable  in  growing 
vegetables.  The  plant  food  contained  in  fresh  manure 
is  not  so  quickly  available  except  the  nitrogen  in  the  form 
of  ammonia. 


FERTILIZERS  11 

Stable  manure  is  composted  by  making  the  manure  into 
a  pile  as  soon  as  it  is  hauled  to  the  market  garden.  Manure 
is  generally  hauled  as  fast  as  it  is  produced  and  is  then  built 
up  into  piles  conveniently  located  for  final  distribution 
The  pile  should  be  about  five  feet  high  and  as  long  and 
wide  as  necessary.  As  the  pile  is  constructed,  the  manure 
should  be  firmed  by  tramping,  and  if  very  dry,  the  manure 
should  be  wetted  sufficiently  to  prevent  burning  in  the  pile. 
When  fresh  horse  manure  is  placed  in  a  pile,  fermentation 
takes  place  with  a  considerable  amount  of  heat.  The  heat 
will  cause  the  manure  to  fire  fang,  or  burn.  The  pile  should 
be  examined  frequently,  and  if  it  is  showing  a  whitish  or 
grayish  color,  the  pile  should  be  turned  and  watered  lightly. 
It  should  be  remembered  that  every  time  the  pile  is  turned 
there  is  a  consequent  loss  of  nitrogen  in  the  form  of  ammonia; 
therefore  handle  the  pile  carefully  and  do  not  disturb  it  more 
often  than  is  absolutely  necessary.  About  six  months  time 
is  ordinarily  required  for  the  proper  composting  of  the 
manure. 

Rotted  stable  manure  is  usually  applied  in  the  spring 
just  previous  to  ploughing.  After  ploughing  the  ground 
should  be  thoroughly  worked  with  a  disc  harrow.  Fresh 
or  partly  rotted  manure  is  best  ploughed  under  in  the  fall; 
the  procedure  in  the  spring  then  is  to  thoroughly  disc  the 
ground  before  planting. 

The  rate  of  application  of  manure  depends  upon  the 
condition  of  the  ground  and  the  crops  to  be  grown.  In 
intensive  gardening,  where  the  ground  is  not  allowed  to 
be  idle  during  the  growing  season,  from  twenty  to  fifty 
cords  of  rotted  manure  per  acre  should  be  ploughed  under 
each  season.  The  average  application  is  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  cords. 

11.  Commercial  Fertilizers.     Commercial  fertilizers  are 


12  MARKET  GARDENING 

necessary  for  the  maximum  production  from  the  area 
planted.  Stable  manures  alone  may  furnish  sufficient  plant 
food  for  some  classes  of  vegetables,  but  being  unbalanced 
in  their  content  of  plant  food,  their  use  cannot  be  depended 
upon  entirely  for  the  successful  growing  of  all  vegetables. 
Manures  have  a  relatively  high  content  of  nitrogen,  and  are 
usually  deficient  in  the  mineral  elements  of  phosphorous 
and  potash.  To  balance  the  ration  of  plant  food,  chemical 
fertilizers  are  used. 

The  plant  food  contained  in  manures  becomes  available 
rather  slowly,  except  for  the  nitrogen  which  is  in  the  organic 
form,  ammonia.  This  becomes  available  very  quickly, 
particularly  if  the  manure  is  rotted. 

Chemical  fertilizers  may  be  obtained  in  forms  which 
are  quickly  available.  This  is  important  in  intensive 
gardening  where  quick  results  are  very  desirable.  Slow 
plant  growth  results  in  vegetables  of  inferior  quality  and 
oftentimes  the  yield  is  small  in  quantity.  Slow  growth 
tends  to  produce  vegetables  tough  in  texture  and  of  poor 
flavor.  Rapid  growth  produces  tender,  succulent  vegetables 
of  fine  flavor.  Then  again,  the  more  quickly  a  crop  may 
be  matured,  the  sooner  it  will  become  ready  for  harvesting 
and  thus  out  of  the  way  for  succeeding  crops.  The  use  of 
chemical  fertilizers  enables  the  grower  to  raise  a  maximum 
crop  of  fine  flavor  and  quality,  and  to  produce  the  crop  in 
the  shortest  time  possible. 

Chemical  fertilizers  should  seldom  be  used  alone;  they 
give  the  best  results  only  when  used  as  an  adjunct  to  stable 
manures.  To  get  the  largest  results  from  an  application 
of  chemical  fertilizers,  the  ground  must  be  liberally  supplied 
with  humus,  and  must  be  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 

12.  Nitrogen.  The  element  necessary  in  the  production 
of  tender  succulent  stems  and  leaves  is  nitrogen,  and  it  is 


FERTILIZERS  13 

therefore  very  valuable  in  the  growing  of  such  crops  as 
celery,  cabbage,  lettuce,  spinach,  asparagus,  or  any  crop 
grown  for  its  top,  or  for  early  maturity.  Nitrogen  stimu- 
lates the  plants  and  tends  to  produce  a  good  growth  in 
the  early  spring  before  the  ground  becomes  thoroughly 
warmed. 

13.  Nitrate  of  Soda.  The  most  available  and  therefore 
valuable  form  in  which  nitrogen  may  be  supplied  is  known 
as  nitrate  of  soda.  The  nitrogen  becomes  available  as  soon 
as  the  compound  is  dissolved,  while  if  supplied  in  manures, 
dried  blood,  bone  or  tankage,  these  materials  must  decom- 
pose before  their  supply 'of  nitrogen  becomes  available. 

Nitrate  of  soda  may  be  supplied  alone  or  in  combina- 
tion with  other  elements.  The  rate  of  application  varies 
with  the  richness  of  the  soil  and  with  the  kind  of  crops 
grown.  The  method  of  application  varies  with  the  condi- 
tions; whether  it  is  used  as  part  of  a  complete  fertilizer,  or 
is  used  alone  as  a  top  dressing.  Under  most  conditions 
the  best  results  are  obtained  from  sowing  the  nitrate  broad- 
cast, even  when  the  plants  are  young  and  tender.  If  the 
foliage  is  dry  at  the  time  of  broadcasting  the  nitrate  of 
soda,  none  of  it  will  adhere  to  the  leaves  but  all  will  glance 
off  to  the  ground. 

Nitrate  of  soda  may  also  be  sown  along  the  row  quite 
close  to  the  plants  and  then  cultivated  in,  or  it  may  be 
applied  by  any  one  of  the  numerous  fertilizer  distributors 
that  are  adapted  for  use  in  narrow  rows. 

Nitrate  of  soda  is  used  as  a  part  of  complete  fertilizers 
for  vegetables.  Such  fertilizers  should  be  broadcasted  over 
the  land,  or  applied  with  a  fertilizer  drill  just  preceding  the 
final  harrowing  before  seed  sowing,  or  placed  in  the  hill, 
or  drill,  at  the  time  of  planting.  The  amount  of  nitrate  of 
soda  to  be  used  at  one  time  will  vary  with  the  richness  of 


14  MARKET  GARDENING 

the  soil  and  with  the  character  of  the  crop  to  be  fertilized. 
The  amount  varies  from  a  few  pounds  to  as  much  as  250 
pounds  per  acre.  It  is  the  better  practice  to  make  smaller 
and  frequent  applications  rather  than  to  make  larger  and 
fewer  applications. 

14.  Other  Sources  of  Nitrogen.  Nitrogen  may  also  be 
obtained  from  the  use  of  dried  blood,  tankage,  manures, 
raw  or  steamed  bone  and  ground  fish.  Dried  blood  decom- 
poses quite  rapidly  and  its  supply  of  nitrogen  becomes 
available  quickly.  Tankage  decomposes  somewhat  more 
slowly  than  does  dried  blood.  Manures,  raw  bone  and 
steamed  bone  decompose  slowly.  Ground  fish  becomes 
available  slowly. 

The  supply  of  nitrogen  in  a  complete  fertilizer  should 
have  at  least  two  sources,  nitrate  of  soda,  and  another  source 
such  as  dried  blood  or  tankage. 

16.  Potash.     Potash  is  particularly  necessary  in  grow- 
ing root  croops,  as  carrots,   turnips,  beets,  radishes,  and 
parsnips.     It  is  also  important  in  growing  other  vegetable 
crops.     Sandy  or  muck  soils  are  usually  very  deficient  in 
their  supply  of  this  element. 

Potash  is  obtainable  in  several  forms,  muriate  of  potash 
being  the  most  available  form.  Sulphate  of  potash  is  also 
a  desirable  form. 

17.  Phosphoric  Acid.     As   most   soils   are   deficient   in 
phosphoric  acid,   the  gardener  must  supply  this  element 
of  plant  food  in  some  form.     Phosphoric  acid  is  very  impor- 
tant in  the  growth  of  nearly  all  vegetable  crops,  the  cereals 
being  particularly  benefited  by  it.     A  deficiency  of  phos- 
phoric acid  is  indicated  by  small  yields  and  the  slow  maturity 
of  the  crops. 

Phosphoric  acid  is  derived  from  several  sources,  the  most 
important  being  Rock  Phosphate,  Thomas  Slag,  raw  and 


FERTILIZERS  15 

steamed  bone  and  tankage.     The  rock  phosphates  are  the 
principal  source  of  phosphoric  acid  for  use  in  gardening. 

18.  Complete  Fertilizers.     Fertilizers  containing  all  three 
of  the  principal  elements  of  plant  food,  nitrogen,  phosphoric 
acid  and  potash,  are  called  complete  fertilizers.     The  per- 
centages  of   nitrogen,    phosphoric   acid,    and  potash,   vary 
with  the  crops  for  which  they  are  intended,  nitrogen  being 
higher,  for  example,  in  a  fertilizer  for  asparagus  or  onions, 
while  a  fertilizer  for  the  root  crops  would  be  lower  in  nitrogen 
and  higher  in  potash. 

A  fertilizer  containing  4%  nitrogen,  8%  phosphoric 
acid,  and  10%  potash,  is  considered  the  basic  fertilizer, 
but  as  has  been  indicated,  the  percentages  vary  with 
the  need  of  the  crops  to  be  fertilized. 

The  rate  of  application  of  complete  fertilizers  is  governed 
by  crop  requirements  and  soil  conditions.  The  amount 
varies  from  a  few  hundred  pounds  to  a  ton  or  more  per  acre 
for  a  single  crop.  The  average  application  per  season  in 
intensive  gardening  is  1500  to  2000  pounds  per  acre,  although 
the  amount  applied  during  the  season  may  be  as  high  as 
4000  pounds  or  more. 

19.  Effects  of  Chemical  Fertilizers  on  the  Soil.     Exces- 
sive applications  of  chemical  fertilizers  tend  to  cause  soil 
acidity.     In  instances  where  the  supply  of  humus  is  not 
kept  up,  the  soil  will  become  hard  and  unproductive,  as  well 
as  acid. 

To  remedy  these  conditions,  the  supply  of  humus  must 
be  maintained  and  liberal  applications  of  lime  made  as 
required.  The  amount  of  lime  to  apply  varies  with  soil 
conditions;  a  ton  to  the  acre  is  usually  sufficient  for  most 
soils,  although  as  much  as  three  tons  per  acre  are  sometimes 
required  to  neutralize  an  acid  soil. 

20.  Effects   of   Lime.     Soil    acidity    is   neutralized    by 


16  MARKET  GARDENING 

applications  of  lime,  the  physical  and  chemical  condition 
of  the  soil  are  improved,  causing  plant  food  to  be  liberated 
and  to  .become  available.  Lime,  by  neutralizing  the  soil 
acidity,  renders  the  land  unfavorable  for  the  development 
of  the  club  foot  of  cabbage  and  other  crops  belonging  to  the 
same  family.  Most  garden  crops  do  best  in  a  soil  slightly 
alkaline  and  applications  of  lime  bring  about  this  condition. 
The  best  results  are  obtained  when  the  lime  is  applied  in 
the  spring. 

21.  Methods  of  Application.     Fertilizers  and  lime  may 
be  sown  broadcast  over  the  land  or  applied  with  a  fertilizer 
drill.     The  drill  is  far  preferable  to  hand  sowing,  both  for 
uniformity  of  application  and  for  convenience.     Lime  should 
never  be  applied  with  manure,   because   it   liberates  the 
ammonia  which  will  then  be  lost.     The  manure  should  be 
ploughed  under  and  the  ground  then  harrowed,  after  which 
apply  the  fertilizer  or  lime,  just  previous  to  the  time  of 
planting,  and  harrow  it  in. 

22.  Green  Manures.     Green  manures  and  stable  man- 
ures are  the  best  sources  of  humus.     While  the  growing  of 
crops  for  green  manuring,  or  for  cover  crops  is  not  generally 
practiced  by  the  market  gardeners,  humus  must  often  be 
obtained  by  ploughing  under  green  crops. 

Cover  crops,  and  crops  grown  for  green  manures,  are 
divided  into  two  classes,  leguminous  and  non-leguminous. 
Crimson  clover,  red  clover,  cow  peas,  and  vetch  are  examples 
of  leguminous  crops.  Rye  is  a  commonly  grown  non- 
leguminous  crop. 

23.  The  Legumes.     The  legumes  have  the  ability  to 
take  nitrogen  from  the  air  and  to  store  it  up  in  nodules  which 
grow  on  their  roots.     When  a  leguminous  crop  is  ploughed 
under,  not  only  is  humus  added  to  the  soil,  but  some  fertilizer 
in  the  form  of  nitrogen  is  also  added. 


FERTILIZERS  17 

The  clovers  are  usually  sown  in  the  spring  or  early 
summer  following  an  early  crop  of  vegetables.  The  pro- 
cedure varies  as  to  when  the  crop  is  to  be  turned  under. 
The  crop  may  be  allowed  to  grow  during  the  season  of  sowing, 
and  all  of  it  ploughed  under  the  following  spring,  or  a  cutting 
may  be  had  and  then  the  second  growth  ploughed  under. 
This  may  be  done  either  in  the  fall  or  spring,  depending  upon 
whether  an  early  planting  is  desired.  For  early  results, 
the  crop  should  be  ploughed  under  in  the  fall. 

Cow  peas  and  Canadian  field  peas  are  desirable  legu- 
minous crops  used  for  green  manuring.  Neither  of  these 
crops  is  hardy  and  they  must  therefore  be  ploughed  under 
in  the  fall.  The  Canadian  field  pea  is  one  of  the  best  of  the 
crops  grown  to  add  humus  to  the  soil. 

24.  Non-Legumes.     Rye  is  considered  more  of  a  catch 
crop  than  most  of  the  cover  crops  grown.     It  may  be  sown 
quite  late  in  the  fall,  and  will  make  a  good  growth  even  in 
a  rather  poor  soil.     Very  often  poor  soils  are  built  up  by 
first  growing  rye  on  them,  which  is  turned  under  and  followed 
by  some  leguminous  crop. 

25.  Ploughing  Under.     The   older   or   more   mature   a 
green  crop  becomes  before  ploughing  under,  the  longer  it 
will  take  for  the  crop  to  decompose  and  for  its  plant  food 
and  humus  to  become  available.     The  more  mature  the  crop 
when  ploughed  under,  the  more  danger  there  is  that  the 
capillarity  of  the  soil  may  become  more  or  less  disturbed, 
because  of  the  layer  of  undecayed  vegetable  matter  under- 
lying the  ploughed  soil.     The  furrow  should  be  turned  on 
edge  as  much  as  possible  to  avoid- this  condition.     Thorough 
discing  is  a  great  help  in  restoring  the  soil  to  its  former 
capillarity,  and  also  in  cutting  up  the  green  crop  ploughed 
under. 

26.  Effects  of  Green  Manuring.    Green  crops  are  valu- 


18  MARKET  GARDENING 

able  and  desirable  sources  of  humus,  but  the  rotting  of  green 
crops  when  ploughed  under  has  a  tendency  to  leave  the  soil 
somewhat  acid.  Before  attempting  to  grow  all  kinds  of 
vegetables  in  soil  on  which  a  green  crop  has  been  grown 
and  ploughed  under,  an  application  of  lime  must  be  made 
to  neutralize  the  acidity. 

27.  Catch  Crops.  Green  crops  are  often  grown  as  catch 
crops.  After  the  ground  is  cleared  in  the  fall,  or  even  before 
the  crop  is  off  the  ground,  a  sowing  may  be  made  of  crimson 
clover  or  rye.  Crimson  clover  is  often  sowed  between  the 
rows  of  sweet  corn  when  the  last  cultivation  is  given.  Such 
catch  crops  may  be  grown  as  sources  of  humus,  or  as  is  often 
the  case,  they  are  grown  to  hold  the  soil  and  to  prevent 
washing.  Catch  crops  being  grown  only  through  a  limited 
season  seldom  grow  to  much  size. 


CHAPTER   III 
HOT  BEDS 

28.  Uses.     Hot  beds  are  used  to  start  plants  ahead  of 
season,  thereby  enabling  the  grower  to  mature  such  crops 
as  tomatoes,  cabbage,  cauliflower,  peppers,  and  many  others 
earlier  than  their  normal  period  of  maturity.      They  are 
also  used  to  grow  such  crops  as  radishes,  lettuce,  and  green 
onions  for  marketing. 

Hot  beds  are  often  used  for  protection,  either  in  the 
spring  or  fall.  Plants  may  be  planted  in  a  hot  bed  in  the 
spring  and  allowed  to  remain  in  them  until  the  danger  of 
frost  is  passed,  when  the  beds  are  removed;  or  the  hot  beds 
may  be  used  in  the  fall  for  maturing  crops  after  the  frosts 
begin. 

29.  Location.     The   hot  beds  should  be  constructed  on 
a  well  drained  piece  of  ground  with  a  south  or  southeast 
exposure.    The  beds  should  be  protected  against  cold  winds. 
This  may  be  done  by  taking  advantage  of  natural  wind 
breaks,  such  as  hedges,  board  fences,  or  buildings.     A  tem- 
porary protection  may  be  afforded  by  erecting  frames  and 
putting  hot  bed  mats  on  them. 

30.  Means  of  Heating.     Hot  beds  are  usually  heated 
by  fermenting  manure,  although  steam  or  hot  water  are 
sometimes  employed  as  sources  of  heat.     The  coils  of  pipe 
are  hung  on  the  frames,  and  pipes  incased  in  tile  are  buried 
in  the  soil.     The  tile  prevents  too  rapid  drying  out  of  the  soil. 

Hot  air  is  used  for  heating  hot  beds  by  constructing  a 
furnace  outside  and  at  the  end  of  the  hot  bed,  and  burying 

19 


20 


MAKKET  GARDENING 


HOT  BEDS  21 

the  flue  in  the  hot  bed.  The  flue  should  divide  into  two 
lines  and  unite  again  at  the  farther  end  of  the  bed.  Tile 
is  commonly  employed  in  building  the  flue,  although  brick 
may  be  used. 

31.  Construction.  Manure  heated  hot  beds  are  con- 
structed by  digging  a  pit  fifteen  to  thirty  inches  deep  and 
six  feet  wide  and  placing  over  it  a  frame  as  long  as  may 
be  desired.  The  front  of  the  bed  should  be  six  inches  lower 
than  the  back  so  that  the  glass  may  have  the  proper  slope 
toward  the  sun.  The  common  practice  is  to  build  the  front 
six  inches  high  and  the  back  of  the  bed  twelve  inches  high. 
Fig.  8,  which  is  a  cross-section  view  of  a  hot  bed,  shows 
the  general  features  of  construction.  The  frame  should  be 
strongly  constructed  of  durable  lumber,  such  as  chestnut  or 
cypress  planking,  and  2X4  inch  posts.  Cross  bars  should 
be  placed  from  the  front  to  the  back  of  the  bed  at  regular 
intervals  to  stiffen  the  frame. 

The  frame  of  the  hot  bed  is  constructed  to  support  the 
sash,  which  is  commonly  3X6  feet,  and  glazed  with  10X12 
inch  glass.  Smaller  glass  is  sometimes  used,  but  three 
sections  of  10X12  inch  glass  is  preferred  by  most  growers. 
Sash  is  often  made  and  used  in  sizes  larger  than  3x6  feet, 
but  larger  sash  is  much  heavier  and  more  awkward  to 
handle,  also  a  bed  over  six  feet  wide  cannot  be  worked 
advantageously.  The  sash  should  be  made  of  cypress  or 
cedar  to  assure  durability. 

The  depth  of  the  pit  is  determined  by  such  factors  as 
the  time  of  year,  whether  the  weather  is  severe  or  mild, 
and  the  kind  of  crop  to  be  grown.  Such  crops  as  radishes 
or  lettuce  do  not  require  so  much  heat  as  do  tomatoes  or 
peppers. 

32.  Preparation  of  the  Manure.  Horse  or  mule  manure 
may  be  used  as  a  source  of  heat.  The  manure  should  be 


22 


MARKET  GARDENING 


freshly  gathered,  or  else  should  be  manure  that  has  not 
been  heated.  Place  the  manure  in  a  pile  about  six  feet 
wide  and  four  feet  deep  and  as  long  as  may  be  necessary. 
The  manure  should  be  prepared  under  cover  of  a  shed  for 
best  results.  As  the  pile  is  constructed,  the  material  should 
be  shaken  out  and  well  firmed  with  the  back  of  the  fork 
or  by  lightly  tramping. 

The  pile  should  be  examined  often,  and  as  soon  as  a 
good  heat  is  generated,  it  should  be  turned,  taking  care 


^3L     Manure 


Manure 


FIG.  8. — Cross-section  of  a  Hot  Bed. 

that  the  outside  of  the  pile  is  placed  in  the  centre  of  the 
new  pile.  Examine  the  pile  carefully  and  in  two  or  three 
days  the  fermentation  will  again  have  become  well  started 
heating  the  manure  thoroughly.  The  manure  is  then  ready 
to  put  into  the  pit. 

The  manure  is  placed  in  the  pit,  a  layer  at  a  time,  four 
to  six  inches  deep,  and  tramped  well,  especially  in  the 
corners  and  along  the  sides.  After  the  pit  has  been  filled 
to  the  required  depth,  two  to  six  inches  of  good  loam  is 
placed  on  the  manure.  When  the  hot  beds  are  used  for 
the  growing  of  plants  in  flats  or  pots,  two  inches  of  soil  is 


HOT  BEDS  23 

sufficient  to  keep  the  air  sweet,  and  to  absorb  the  moisture 
from  the  manure.  When  crops  are  to  be  grown  in  the  soil 
of  the  hot  bed,  the  soil  should  be  at  least  six  inches  deep. 

After  the  manure  has  been  placed  in  the  pit  and  covered 
with  loam,  the  hot  bed  thermometers  should  be  thrust  into 
the  manure,  and  the  sash,  shutters  and  mats  should  be  placed 
over  the  hot  bed.  As  soon  as  the  manure  has  again  become 
hot  and  the  soil  is  warmed  through,  the  bed  is  ready  for  the 
introduction  of  plants  in  flats,  or  for  the  planting  of  crops 
in  the  soil. 

33.  Care  of  the  Hot  Bed.  Careful  attention  to  the 
details  of  watering  and  ventilation  are  necessary  for  the  suc- 
cess in  growing  plants  in  hot  beds.  The  water  should  be  ap- 
plied evenly  and  at  a  time  when  the  temperature  is  rising. 
Watch  the  beds  at  the  sides  and  corners  that  they  do  not 
dry  out  too  rapidly.  The  hot  beds  are  ventilated  by  raising 
the  sash,  either  at  intervals  along  the  bed,  or  all  of  them,  as 
the  conditions  may  demand.  Small  blocks  of  wood  are 
handy  for  placing  under  the  sash  for  ventilating.  Avoid 
drafts  as  much  as  possible  at  all  times,  particularly  with 
such  crops  as  tomatoes,  peppers  or  any  other  of  the  more 
tender  crops. 

In  the  early  spring,  when  the  weather  is  yet  quite 
severe  at  times,  the  hot  beds  must  be  banked  with  hot 
manure  at  the  time  that  the  pit  is  filled  with  manure  for 
heating  the  bed.  The  manure  should  be  banked  to  the  full 
height  of  the  frames  and  tramped  firmly.  Anything  that 
will  exclude  the  cold  may  be  used  for  covering  the  frames 
at  night  and  during  severe  weather.  Mats  of  various  kinds 
may  be  purchased,  or  straw  mats  may  be  made  at  home. 
Old  blankets  are  sometimes  used,  also  wooden  shutters. 
The  shutters  are  made  the  same  size  as  the  sash,  3x6  feet, 
and  of  light  lumber. 


CHAPTER  IV 
SEEDS  AND   SEED   SOWING.     TRANSPLANTING 

34.  Quality  of  the  Seed.  The  importance  of  planting 
good  seed  cannot  be  overestimated,  because  upon  the  selec- 
tion of  the  seed  may  depend  the  success  or  failure  of  the 
crop.  Several  factors  determine  the  quality  of  the  seed;  the 
most  important  are  viability  and  truth  to  name  and  type.  To 
have  a  high  percentage  of  germination  the  seed  must  be 
viable, i.e.,  must  have  the  ability  to  germinate  under  average 
conditions  and  grow  into  seedlings.  The  seed  must  be  true 
to  name,  that  is,  it  should  produce  plants  of  the  variety  for 
which  it  is  purchased.  It  must  be  true  to  type,  or  strain. 
Most  varieties  of  vegetables  and  fruits  have  a  number  of 
types;  it  is  undesirable  that  a  planting  of  any  crop  should 
be  a  mixture  of  several  types. 

The  average  of  good  seed  is  reasonably  free  from  weed 
seeds  and  dirt,  but  the  grower  should  be  sure  that  his  seed 
is  clean  before  planting  it. 

The  growing  of  seeds  at  home  is  quite  extensively  prac- 
ticed and  with  good  results  if  the  grower  has  a  definite, 
fixed  idea  as  to  the  type  of  plant  which  he  wishes  to 
propagate.  When  selecting  fruits  for  their  seeds,  the 
grower  should  select  the  plant  for  its  good  qualities  rather 
than  select  the  biggest  and  finest  fruits  regardless  of  the 
plant  upon  which  they  have  been  grown.  If  the  plant  is 
not  vigorous  and  does  not  possess  desirable  qualities,  it  is 
probable  that  the  seed  saved,  even  though  the  fruits  be 

24 


SEEDS  AND   SEED  SOWING.     TRANSPLANTING     25 

desirable,  will  not  produce  fruits  of  the  grade  desired.  The 
average  grower  will  usually  do  better  to  buy  his  seed  from 
a  reliable  seedsman  rather  than  to  attempt  to  grow  his  own 
seed. 

The  seeds  of  most  vegetables  are  viable  and  will  produce 
good  plants  and  crops  if  they  are  more  than  one  year  old 
when  planted.  The  best  practice  is  to  plant  fresh  seeds  be- 
cause the  quality  of  the  seed  is  determined  as  much  by  the 
conditions  under  which  they  have  been  stored  as  upon 
the  conditions  under  which  they  have  been  grown.  Seeds 
should  be  stored  in  tight  bags  in  a  cool  dry  place. 

35.  Germination.  Each  seed  contains  a  minute  plant 
ready  to  start  into  growth  as  soon  as  sufficient  heat  and 
moisture  are  supplied.  Figs.  9 (a),  9(6),  9(c)  and  9(d)  show 
successive  stages  in  the  growth  of  a  corn  seedling.  The 
minute  plant  in  the  kernel  absorbs  moisture  and  increases 
in  size,  first  sending  out  a  root  and  later  the  stem.  Later, 
other  roots  appear  and  the  stem  turns  upward  toward  the 
light  while  the  tap  root  pushes  its  way  downward  into  the 
soil.  Until  the  roots  are  grown,  the  kernel  furnishes  food 
to  the  plant. 

Seeds  may  be  germinated  between  layers  of  moist,  warm 
flannel,  or  in  small  germination  dishes,  and  will  make  suffici- 
ent growth  under  these  conditions  for  the  grower  to  test 
his  seeds  and  determine  the  percentage  of  viable  seeds. 
All  seeds  which  will  germinate,  that  is  start  into  some 
growth,  will  not  grow  into  a  good  plant.  It  is  only  the 
seeds  producing  a  strong  root  and  sprout  that  will  grow  into 
good  plants. 

Every  grower  of  vegetables  should  test  his  seeds  before 
planting  any  of  them  in  the  ground.  A  simple  and  con- 
venient method  is  to  take  a  piece  of  clean  white  flannel,  dip 
it  in  warm  water  and  wring  the  water  out  until  it  no  longer 


tern 


Stem 


Tap  Root 


FIG.  9  (a). — The  Germination  of 
Corn.  The  tap  root  is  appearing 
and  the  embryo  plant  is  much  in- 
creased in  size. 


Ground  Line 


FIG.  9  (6). — The  Germination  of 
Corn.  Tap  root  longer  and  stem 
appearing.  Note  how  the  stem  is 
growing  upward  toward  the  light 
and  the  root  downward  into  the 
soil. 


Tap  Root 


FIG.  9  (c). — The  Germination  of 
Corn.  Stem  breaking  through 
the  Soil. 


FIG.  9  (d).— The  Corn  Seedling. 
26 


SEEDS  AND   SEED   SOWING.     TRANSPLANTING     27 

drips  from  the  flannel.  Two  warm,  eight  inch  plates  will 
then  be  needed  to  contain  the  flannel.  Lay  the  flannel  in 
one  plate  and  on  one  end  of  it  count  out  a  number  of  seeds. 
It  is  best  to  use  the  seeds  in  lots  of  from  ten  to  one  hundred; 
one  hundred  being  the  best  number  to  use  as  a  fairer  test 
can  be  had  from  this  number  of  seeds  than  from  any  smaller 
number.  After  the  seeds  have  been  counted  and  laid  on  one 
end  of  the  flannel,  fold  the  other  end  of  the  flannel  over  the 
seeds  so  that  they  are  all  covered.  The  second  plate  should 
then  be  placed  over  the  first  plate  containing  the  flannel  and 
seeds,  with  the  bottom  of  the  plate  upwards,  and  the  whole 
set  aside  in  a  place  where  the  temperature  can  be  kept  at 
about  70°.  The  seeds  should  be  examined  every  day  that 
the  flannel  may  be  kept  moist  by  additions  of  water,  and 
all  germinated  seeds  counted  and  thrown  out.  The  number 
of  seeds  remaining  after  all  the  germinated  seeds  have  been 
thrown  out  will  determine  the  percentage  of  germination 
for  the  lot  tested.  Thus,  if  we  have  one  hundred  seeds 
and  twenty  remain  after  the  test,  we  know  that  eighty  per 
cent  of  the  seeds  are  viable  and  can  reasonably  be  depended 
upon  to  produce  plants. 

36.  The  Seed  Bed.  The  seed  bed  must  be  carefully 
and  thoroughly  prepared;  lumps  and  coarse  material  must 
be  raked  out,  leaving  the  surface  in  a  fine,  smooth  condition. 
The  seed  bed  should  have  a  depth  of  at  least  four  to  six 
inches  of  good  loam  and  should  be  thoroughly  pulverized 
clear  to  the  bottom.  The  lighter  soils  furnish  the  best  con- 
ditions for  making  the  seed  bed  and  are  more  easily  gotten 
into  proper  condition  than  are  the  heavier  soils. 

After  having  thoroughly  prepared  the  seed  bed,  the  con- 
ditions necessary  for  the  germination  of  the  planted  seeds 
are  principally  heat  and  moisture.  All  soil  contains  some  air, 
at  least  a  sufficient  amount  will  ordinarily  surround  a  seed 


28  MARKET  GARDENING 

for  its  use  while  germinating  and  growing  into  a  seedling. 
The  conditions  which  have  to  be  supplied  then  are  the  heat 
and  the  moisture.  If  the  seeds  are  to  be  planted  in  a  hot 
bed,  the  ground  must  be  warmed  by  the  use  of  glass  and  the 
manure  under  the  bed ;  if  the  seeds  are  to  be  planted  in  the 
open  ground  we  must  depend  upon  the  weather  conditions 
for  the  right  temperature  of  the  soil.  The  seeds  of  the  cooler 
loving  plants  such  as  cabbage,  or  turnip,  may  be  planted  in 
cooler  soils  than  such  seed  as  tomato,  egg  plant  or  cucumber. 
Such  seeds  as  lettuce,  spinach,  cabbage,  beet  and 
radishes  may  be  sown  earlier  and  under  cooler  conditions 
than  may  seeds  of  tomato,  corn,  egg  plant,  melons  and  other 
warmth  loving  plants. 

The  time  for  seed  sowing  depends  upon  such  factors  as 
condition  of  the  soil,  liability  for  frost  and  the  season.  For 
such  plants  as  tomatoes,  peppers,  egg  plant,  lettuce,  cabbage 
and  other  transplanted  crops,  the  time  for  sowing  the  seed 
under  glass  is  determined  largely  by  the  season  in  which  it 
is  desired  to  harvest  the  crops. 

37.  Planting.  In  the  home  garden  the  seeds  are  usually 
planted  by  hand  by  dropping  them  in  the  hill  or  furrow 
previously  prepared.  That  the  rows  may  be  straight  and 
a  uniform  distance  apart,  the  ground  should  be  measured 
and  staked  and  a  line  used  in  marking  out  the  rows.  The 
line  should  be  stretched  tightly  and  the  corner  of  a  hoe  or 
the  back  of  a  rake  used  to  follow  the  line  and  make  the  pro- 
posed furrow.  The  seeds  should  be  dropped  at  uniform 
intervals;  seed  held  between  the  thumb  and  finger  may  be 
dropped  evenly  with  a  little  practice.  For  the  larger  garden, 
a  seed  drill  is  indispensable  for  economical  planting.  The 
depth  of  planting  is  then  easily  regulated. 

After  planting,  the  soil  should  be  firmed  by  pressing  it 
down  with  the  back  of  a  hoe  or  rake.  This  is  done  to  restore 


SEEDS  AND   SEED   SOWING.     TRANSPLANTING    29 

the  capillarity  of  the  soil  which  has  been  destroyed  by  open- 
ing the  furrow  or  hill.  The  seed  drill  does  this  by  the 
pressure  of  the  trail  wheel  which  follows  over  the  planted 
row  after  the  seed  is  covered  by  the  planter  wings. 

For  the  best  and  quickest  results  the  seed  should  be 
planted  only  in  freshly  prepared  ground.  In  such  ground 
the  conditions  of  heat  and  moisture  are  at  their  best  and 
the  seed  is  placed  in  surroundings  most  favorable  for  quick 
germination  and  the  growth  of  the  seedling. 

38.  Transplanting.  To  obtain  early  fruits  of  such  plants 
as  tomatoes,  cabbage,  cauliflower,  egg  plant  and  peppers, 
it  is  necessary  to  plant  the  seeds  early,  in  a  protected  loca- 
tion, or  in  a  green-house  or  hot  bed,  from  which  the  seed- 
lings are  transplanted  one  or  more  times. 

Some  of  the  benefits  of  transplanting  are  early  maturity, 
the  economical  use  of  the  ground  by  growing  seedlings  for 
transplanting  to  the  field  as  soon  or  even  before  a  crop  is 
taken  off,  the  increase  in  productiveness  that  results  from 
transplanting.  A  plant  that  has  been  transplanted  develops 
a  better  root  system  than  one  that  is  not  transplanted. 

Plants  to  be  transplanted  should  be  allowed  to  dry  out 
for  at  least  a  day  previous  to  transplanting  and  watered  just 
before  transplanting.  This  procedure  tends  to  fill  the  plants 
with  water  just  before  disturbing  them,  it  also  aids  in  retain- 
ing a  ball  of  earth  around  the  roots.  The  plants  should  be 
lifted  carefully  that  the  system  of  roots  be  disturbed  and 
broken  as  little  as  possible.  The  plants  will  start  easier 
and  more  quickly  if  a  little  water  is  poured  around  them 
when  transplanted,  or  if  they  can  be  irrigated  after  being  set. 

Before  transplanting  begins,  the  field  should  be  carefully 
marked  that  the  rows  may  be  straight  and  properly  spaced. 

The  time  to  transplant  is  determined  by  conditions  of  the 
plants  to  be  transplanted,  the  weather  conditions,  conditions 


30 


MARKET  GARDENING 


of  the  soil,  whether  dry  enough,  moist  enough,  warm 
enough,  or  properly  prepared.  If  possible,  it  is  best  to 
choose  a  cool  or  cloudy  day  for  transplanting,  or  to  trans- 


\ 
FIG.  10. — Dibbers  for  Transplanting. 


plant  just  before  a  rain.  When  these  conditions  are  not 
to  be  had,  do  the  transplanting  late  in  the  day,  rather 
than  in  the  morning. 


FIG.  11. — Proper  Method  of  Using  a  Dibber  in  Transplanting.     Note 
how  the  soil  is  pressed  firmly  around  the  roots  of  the  seedling, 

When  transplanting,  set  the  plants  just  a  little  deeper 
than  they  were  set  previously. 

Plants  are  generally  transplanted  by  hand,  a  dibber  or 


SEEDS  AND   SEED  SOWING.    TRANSPLANTING     31 

trowel,  Fig.  10,  being  used  to  make  the  hole.  After  the 
seedling  is  placed,  the  soil  should  be  pressed  firmly  around 
the  roots  with  the  fingers,  or  with  the  dibber  or  trowel 
handle  as  in  Fig.  11. 

When  the  gardening  operations  are  small,  the  trans- 
planted plants  can  easily  be  shaded  for  a  few  days  after 
being  set  in  the  field.  Shingles,  paper  bags,  small  boxes,  or 
anything  that  will  cast  a  shadow  may  be  used  for  shading. 


CHAPTER  V 
IRRIGATION 

39.  Moisture  Requirements  of  Plants.  Water  plays  a 
most  important  part  in  all  stages  of  plant  growth.  Mois- 
ture is  necessary  for  seed  germination  and  is  no  less  necessary 
to  the  seedling  and  plant.  The  soil  may  be  properly  pre- 
pared and  there  may  be  an  abundance  of  properly  balanced 
fertilizer,  but  unless  sufficient  moisture  is  present  in  the  soil 
the  plant  can  make  but  little  growth  or  get  but  little  benefit 
from  the  fertilizer  supplied  for  it. 

Water  is  a  solvent  of  plant  foods.  It  also  acts  as  a 
carrier  of  plant  food  in  solution,  and  holds  plant  foods  in 
solution  in  the  soil.  Moisture  is  necessary  for  the  action 
of  friendly  bacteria,  and  by  carrying  solvent  acids  to  the 
plant  food  present  in  the  soil,  it  makes  the  plant  food  avail- 
able to  the  plant. 

Vegetables  are  composed  very  largely  of  water;  in  some 
cases  they  are  over  90%  water.  The  plant  juice,  or  sap, 
is  composed  very  largely  of  water,  it  thereby  becoming  the 
principal  agent  in  the  carrying  of  plant  food  from  the  soil 
to  the  various  parts  of  the  plant.  Enormous  quantities  of 
water  are  transpired  during  the  life  of  the  plant,  several 
hundred  pounds  of  water  being  necessary  for  the  making 
of  a  pound  of  dry  matter. 

Irrigation  may  be  looked  upon  as  insurance  against 
drought.  With  a  plentiful  supply  of  water  the  gardener  is 
independent  of  the  uncertainties  of  rainfall.  Sufficient 

32 


IRRIGATION 


33 


34 


MARKET   GARDENING 


a, 
CQ 


I 

& 

a 

.2 
_^ 

f 


IRRIGATION  35 

moisture  insures  larger  yields,  good  quality  and  proper 
maturity  of  the  crop.  It  may  mean  the  difference  between 
a  full  crop  and  practically  no  crop  for  the  season. 

40.  Methods  of  Irrigation.  There  are  several  methods 
of  applying  water;  the  kind  of  gardening  usually  determines 
the  manner  of  supplying  water  artificially.  Thus,  water  may 
be  applied  with  a  hose,  in  the  furrow,  or  with  an  overhead 
sprinkler  system.  When  the  garden  is  extensive,  the  hose 
method  is  neither  very  practicable  nor  satisfactory.  If  the 
gardening  be  intensive  and  the  rows  are  close  together,  the 
furrow  method  is  not  practicable  owing  to  the  small  amount 
of  room  in  which  to  handle  the  water  between  the  growing 
plants.  The  overhead  sprinkler  system  is  by  far  the  best  and 
most  natural  method  of  supplying  water.  The  water  is 
applied  gently,  and  crops  growing  in  rows  close  together 
can  be  irrigated  successfully  in  an  extensive  manner  with 
this  method.  The  Skinner  system,  Fig.  13,  is  the  best  over- 
head system  to  be  had.  It  consists  of  overhead  pipes  that 
are  perforated  and  have  small  nozzles  in  the  perforations. 
The  pipes  may  be  turned  completely  around,  thus  dis- 
tributing the  water  evenly  in  all  directions  from  the  pipe  line. 

The  amount  of  water  to  be  applied  at  one  time  depends 
upon  the  conditions  of  the  soil,  the  weather,  and  the  crop. 
About  an  inch  of  water  is  the  limit  that  should  be  applied 
at  one  time. 


CHAPTER  VI 
VEGETABLE  GARDENS 

41.  The  Home  Garden.  The  home  vegetable  garden 
should  be  given  far  greater  care  and  consideration  than  is 
generally  accorded  it.  As  a  factor  tending  to  lower  the 
increasing  cost  of  living,  the  home  garden  can  be  of  use 
practically  the  year  round.  No  area  on  the  farm  is  as  profit- 
able as  the  home  garden.  Not  only  will  it  furnish  vegetables 
for  the  home  table  but  it  often  will  furnish  a  sufficient  supply 
for  sale  to  the  local  market  or  to  the  neighbors. 

The  work  done  in  the  home  vegetable  garden  is  usually 
done  at  odd  times  and  for  this  reason  the  garden  should 
be  located  as  close  to  the  house  as  the  conditions  may  permit. 
It  should  also  be  near  the  house  so  that  the  supply  of  fresh 
vegetables  may  easily  be  had  at  short  notice.  The  garden 
should  be  carefully  planned  that  the  area  planted  may  give 
the  greatest  returns  for  the  money  expended  and  the  work 
done.  The  perennials  such  as  rhubarb,  asparagus,  horse 
radish,  strawberries  and  such  bush  fruits  as  blackberries 
and  raspberries  should  be  planted  at  one  end  of  the  garden 
in  order  that  they  may  not  interfere  with  the  cultivation 
and  harvesting  of  the  general  garden  crops.  Fig.  14  shows 
a  good  arrangement. 

The  home  vegetable  garden  is  not  complete  without  a 
small  hot  bed  in  which  to  grow  such  crops  as  radishes  and 
lettuce,  out  of  season,  and  for  starting  such  plants  as  lettuce, 
cabbage  and  tomato  plants  for  transplanting. 

36 


VEGETABLE  GARDENS  37 


Asparagus 


Blackberries 


Raspberries 


Strawberries 


Tomatoes 


Sweet  Corn 


Peas 


Beans 


Carrots 


Beets 


Parsnip 


Radishes 


Onions 


Lettuce 


Cucumbers 


Melons 


FIG.  14. — Plan  of  Home  Vegetable  Garden, 


38  MARKET  GARDENING 

The  home  garden  should  be  thoroughly  prepared  and 
well  fertilized  for  the  best  results.  A  heavy  dressing  of 
manure  is  always  essential  and  will  often  be  the  only  fer- 
tilizer necessary,  but  a  dressing  of  chemical  fertilizer  will 
give  returns  far  greater  than  the  investment  necessary  for 
its  use.  Frequent  and  thorough  cultivation  should  be  given 
and,  as  conditions  may  require  it,  some  form  of  irrigation 
should  be  practiced.  Frequent  cultivation  largely  elimi- 
nates the  necessity  of  irrigation  as  the  cultivation  maintains 
a  dust  mulch  which  acts  as  a  conserver  of  the  moisture 
already  in  the  soil. 

Such  crops  as  carrots,  beets,  turnips  and  parsnips  are 
easily  stored  either  in  the  ground  or  in  a  cool  cellar.  When 
the  house  cellar  contains  a  furnace,  one  end  of  the  cellar 
may  often  be  partitioned  off  so  that  the  air  in  it  is  constantly 
cool  and  fresh.  Root  crops  stored  in  cellars  should  be  buried 
in  moist  sand  and  kept  as  cool  as  possible  without  freezing. 
When  there  is  no  cellar  available  for  storing  the  root  crops, 
pits  may  be  used  to  advantage.  The  location  of  the  pit 
should  be  on  well-drained  soil.  A  sandy  soil  is  best  for  this 
purpose  as  it  affords  good  drainage.  The  pit  should  be 
about  three  feet  deep  and  the  roots  should  be  covered  to  a 
depth  of  from  six  to  eighteen  inches,  depending  upon  the 
locality  and  the  season.  Ventilation  should  be  provided 
by  placing  short  lengths  of  tile  in  the  pit,  slanted  away 
from  the  prevailing  winds.  The  tile  should  extend  at  least 
two  inches  above  the  surface  of  the  pit.  The  soil  thrown 
over  the  pit  should  have  sufficient  crown  to  cause  it  to  shed 
water  easily.  Cabbage  may  be  stored  in  a  pit  or  in  a  cool 
cellar  when  placed  on  shelves  or  in  small  well-ventilated 
bins. 

42.  School  Gardens.  As  the  excellent  custom  of  plant- 
ing and  caring  for  vegetable  and  flower  gardens  as  a  part  of 


VEGETABLE  GARDENS  39 

school  recreation  and  training  is  increasing,  it  is  hoped  that 
this  little  manual  may  be  found  of  value  as  a  concise  and 
practical  guide  in  such  work.  For  this  reason,  brief  sugges- 
tions for  the  planning  of  the  school  garden  are  here  given. 

When  the  area  available  for  the  school  garden  is  of 
sufficient  size,  the  ground  should  be  prepared  by  the  use  of 
teams.  A  good  dressing  of  rotted  manure  should  be  ploughed 
under  and  this  followed  by  thorough  discing.  A  dressing 
of  a  high  grade,  complete  chemical  fertilizer  is  desirable. 
After  discing  the  ground,  the  surface  should  be  gotten  into 
condition  with  the  smoothing  harrow.  If  the  use  of  teams 
is  not  possible,  the  ground  may  be  spaded  and  raked  by  hand. 

Plots.  The  individual  plots  should  be  laid  off  by  the 
use  of  stakes  and  a  cord  to  surround  each  plot  and  the  rows 
should  be  laid  off  to  run  across  the  whole  row  of  plots,  that 
the  row  spacing  may  be  uniform.  The  plots  should  be 
numbered.  The  size  of  the  plots  is  often  determined  by 
the  area  available  for  the  class.  The  size  of  the  plots  may 
be  determined  by  the  age  or  previous  experience  of  the 
students.  The  plots  vary  from  six  by  six  feet  for  the  smaller 
children  up  to  as  large  as  one  hundred  feet  long  and  six  to 
eight  feet  wide  for  the  older,  or  more  experienced  students. 
Six  feet  wide  is  the  most  desirable  width  for  the  school 
garden;  plots  wider  than  this  are  hard  to  work  without 
walking  on  them.  The  center  of  a  six  foot  plot  can  easily 
be  reached  from  each  side.  A  path  eighteen  to  twenty- 
four  inches  wide  should  be  left  between  the  plots.  This 
gives  sufficient  space  in  which  to  work  and  provides  space 
into  which  trash  and  weeds  may  be  dumped,  later  to  be 
hauled  away. 

It  is  desirable  that  the  plots  be  laid  out  so  that  the  rows 
may  run  north  and  south  rather  than  east  and  west.  A 
north  and  south  row  assures  for  each  row  an  equal  amount 


40 


MARKET  GARDENING 


o 


f 


VEGETABLE  GARDENS  41 

of  sunlight.  This  is  quite  important  in  growing  tall  crops 
together  with  low  growing  crops. 

The  planting  distance  will  largely  be  determined  by  the 
crops  grown.  Such  crops  as  carrots,  beets,  radishes,  onions 
and  lettuce  may  be  grown  in  rows  sixteen  inches  apart. 
When  carrots,  beets,  lettuce  or  other  small  growing  crop 
are  grown,  the  radishes  or  onion  sets  may  be  used  as  fillers, 
being  set  in  the  center  of  the  sixteen  inch  rows.  This  leaves 
the  rows  but  eight  inches  apart.  Such  crops  as  beans,  peas, 
peppers,  egg  plants  and  similar  size  crops  should  be  planted 
in  rows  from  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches  apart.  Radishes 
lettuce  and  onion  sets  are  fine  fillers,  or  companion  crops 
to  be  used  with  such  crops. 

The  vegetables  grown  should  be  of  the  common  kinds 
with  which  most  students  are  more  or  less  familiar.  If 
desired,  flowers  may  also  be  grown,  one  end  of  each  plot 
being  devoted  to  them. 

Plan.  The  following  plan  is  suggested  for  a  plot  six  feet 
wide  and  thirty  feet  long: 

Beginning  at  one  end  of  the  plot  lay  off  twelve  rows 
sixteen  inches  apart,  and  seven  rows  twenty-four  inches 
apart.  In  the  sixteen  inch  rows,  plant  four  rows  each  of 
lettuce,  beets  and  carrots  and  interplant  six  rows  with 
radishes  and  six  rows  with  onions  or  onion  sets.  In  the 
twenty-four  inch  rows  plant  one  row  each  of  peas,  beans, 
cabbage,  cauliflower,  peppers,  egg  plant  and  tomatoes.  It 
is  expected  that  these  larger  growing  crops  will  be  grown  from 
transplanted  plants  rather  than  from  seed.  Between  the 
twenty-four  inch  rows  there  may  be  planted  transplanted 
beet  or  lettuce  plants.  The  space  should  again  be  divided 
by  planting  radish  seed  in  the  center  of  the  twelve  inch  rows. 
Such  a  plan  as  outlined  will  give  the  student  a  good  working 
knowledge  in  the  handling  of  seeds,  and  plants  for  trans- 


42  MARKET  GARDENING 

planting,  and  will  afford  an  example  of  intensive  gardening 
and  in  the  use  of  companion  crops. 

Tools.  The  tool  equipment  should  consist  of  a  sufficient 
number  of  small  garden  hoes,  hand  weeders,  trowels  and 
dibbles  so  that  each  student  may  have  proper  tools  for  each 
operation.  The  garden  hoes  should  be  light,  yet  strong,  and 
not  too  wide  as  they  must  be  used  in  rows  as  close  as  six 
inches.  A  number  of  rakes  must  be  available  for  use  in 
preparing  the  plots  for  planting.  It  is  highly  desirable  that 
a  number  of  wheel  hoes  and  seed  drills  be  available  for 
planting  the  gardens,  at  least  in  part,  and  for  cultivating. 
There  are  a  number  of  desirable  combination  seed  drills  and 
wheel  hoes  on  the  market,  the  most  desirable  of  which  are 
those  in  which  the  seed  drill  or  the  wheel-hoe  attachment 
may  be  used  entirely  independent  of  each  other.  It  is 
not  expected  that  all  of  the  planting  will  be  done  by  the  use 
of  the  seed  drills  but  the  student  should  have  sufficient  use 
of  these  tools  to  become  familiar  with  them. 


CHAPTER  VII 
STORING  AND   PACKING 

43.  Storage  Cellars  and  Pits.     That  the  greatest  returns 
from  the  vegetable  garden  may  be  had,  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  many  of  the  crops  must  be  stored  and  held  for  sale 
during  the  winter  months.     Such  crops  as  beets,  carrots, 
turnips,   celery,   cabbage  and   potatoes  are  easily   held   if 
properly  stored. 

The  root  cellar  is  the  most  common  storage.  This  may 
be  a  cellar  under  a  barn  or  house,  or  it  may  be  a  pit  sub- 
stantially walled  and  roofed  to  equip  it  for  permanent  use. 
The  cellar  or  pit  should  be  frost  proof  and  so  located  that 
perfect  drainage  is  had.  Provision  must  also  be  made  for 
ventilation.  During  the  early  fall  and  in  the  spring,  the 
temperature  of  the  storage  is  dependent  upon  the  ventilation, 
the  doors  and  ventilators  being  opened  at  night  and  closed 
early  in  the  morning  that  the  cool  air  of  the  night  may  be 
held  during  the  day. 

44.  Storing  Root  Crops.     The  root  crops  to  be  stored 
must  be  handled  carefully  to  avoid  unnecessary  bruising. 
The  tops  should  not  be  cut  too  close  to  the  root;  about  one 
inch  from  the  root  is  the  right  length  to  cut  the  tops.     Do 
not  expose  the  roots  to  the  air  longer  than  is  necessary 
before  moving  them  to  the  storage.     Clean,   moist   sand 
must  be  provided  for  covering  and  burying  the  roots.     The 
roots    should  be  cool  when  placed  in  the  storage.      Root 
crops  can  be  held  in  good  condition  in  open  bins  if  the  air 

43 


44 


MARKET  GARDENING 


STORING  AND  PACKING  45 

surrounding  them  can  be  kept  cool  and  moist;  however, 
there  is  certain  to  be  considerable  loss  when  root  crops  are 
held  uncovered  because  the  top  and  outer  layers  will  dry  out 
and  sprout.  As  the  roots  are  brought  in  from  the  field,  they 
should  be  covered  to  a  depth  of  about  six  inches  with  the 
moist  sand.  Keep  the  air  in  the  cellar  as  cool  as  possible 
without  freezing. 

45.  Celery.     Celery  is  usually  stored  in  temporary  pits 
and  houses  as  in  Figs.  17  and  18.     A  satisfactory  celery  pit 
may  be  made  by  digging  a  trench  about  six  feet  long,  thirty 
inches  deep  and  as  long  as  may  be  necessary  for  the  accomo- 
dation  of  the  crop.     The  celery  is  lifted  with  most  of  the 
roots  intact  and  placed  in  the  pit  as  closely  as  possible,  tho 
pit  is  then  covered  with  boards,  provision  being  made  for 
ventilation.     As  the  weather  becomes  more  severe,  the  cover- 
ing is  made  frost  proof  with  mats,  blankets  or  strawy  manure 
and  soil.     When  celery  is  stored  in  large  amounts,  a  good 
storage  can  be  made  by  constructing  a  temporary,  even  span, 
house  out  of  boards  used  in  blanching  the  early  celery.     The 
roof  may  be  covered  with  any  available  trash  from  the  fields 
such  as  tomato  tops,  or  strawy  manure,  and  earth  thrown 
over  all.      A  covering  of  earth  should  be  added  to  as  the 
season  advances  and   the  cold  becomes  more  severe.     A 
narrow  walk  is  left  through  the  center  of  the  storage  for  the 
convenience  of  the  workmen  in  getting  out  the  celery;  this 
is  generally  provided  by  staking  up  planks  to  hold  the  celery 
in  place. 

Cellars  provide  excellent  storage  for  celery,  the  celery 
being  held  in  place  with  planking.  The  celery  roots  may  be 
partly  buried,  or  set  on  top  of  the  ground  as  is  done  when  the 
plants  are  placed  in  a  pit.  The  plants  should  be  placed 
close  together. 

46.  Onions  and  Cabbage.     Onions  are  usually  stored  in 


46 


MARKET  GARDENING 


STORING  AND   PACKING 


47 


GC 


48 


MARKET  GARDENING 


well  insulated   houses  constructed  for  the  purpose.     The 
best  practice  is  to  use   crates  holding  about  one  bushel  each, 


FIG.  19.— Bushel  Box. 


FIG.  20.— Six-basket  Crate;  Six-quart  Baskets. 

although  shallow,  well  ventilated  bins  are  sometimes  used. 
Ample  ventilation  must  be  provided  and  the  temperature 
must  be  kept  as  near  33°  as  possible.  Onions  will  not  stand 


STOKING  AND  PACKING 


49 


freezing  and  thawing,  but  if  kept  frozen  they  will  be  of  good 
quality  when  thawed,  if  used  at  once. 

Cabbage  should  be  stored  in  cool,  well  ventilated  cellars. 
Narrow  bins  may  be  used  for  holding  the  cabbage.  The 
temperature  should  be  kept  low  and  a  constant  supply  of 
fresh  air  should  be  provided.  Cabbage  may  be  stored  in 
pits,  all  of  the  outer  leaves  being  left  on  the  heads,  The 


FIG.  21. — Six-basket  Crate;  Four-quart  Baskets. 

heads  should  first  be  covered  with  straw  and  then  earth 
should  be  placed  over  them.  The  depth  of  the  covering 
must  be  increased  as  the  weather  becomes  more  severe. 

When  removing  vegetables  from  pits,  or  other  temporary 
storage,  care  must  be  exercised  that  the  remainder  of  the 
vegetables  are  not  chilled  or  frozen. 

47.  Packing.  The  package  most  generally  used  for 
local  marketing  is  the  bushel  box,  Fig.  19.  It  is  a  durable 


50 


MARKET  GARDENING 


package  and  lends  itself  to  the  safe  carrying  and  delivery  to 
market  of  a  great  variety  of  crops.  The  bushel  box  is  easy 
to  handle  and  to  load  on  a  wagon,  or  truck,  or  to  handle  in 
shipping  by  express  or  freight. 

Crates  are  used  for  such  vegetables  as  asparagus  and 
celery  when  packed  for  long  shipment.  The  size  of  the  crate 
varies  with  the  demands  of  the  market  and  the  locality 


FIG.  22.— Barrel  Hamper. 

served.  Cabbages  and  cauliflower  also  are  often  shipped  in 
crates,  although  barrels  are  quite  generally  employed  in 
shipping  these  two  crops. 

Bushel  baskets  of  various  designs  are  used  for  shipping 
such  crops  as  peas,  string  beans  and  spinach.  The  basket 
is  usually  of  the  "peach  basket  "  type  and  has  a  light 
wooden  cover,  easily  attached. 

There  are  a  number  of  special  packages  on  the  market 


STORING  AIS'D   PACKING 


51 


52  MARKET  GARDENING 

which  are  often  of  much  value  for  use  in  a  local  market. 
Tomatoes  are  often  packed  in  small  baskets  which  are 
crated  for  shipment,  as  in  Fig.  20.  The  crate  usually  holds 
six  baskets  although  some  crates  are  large  enough  to  hold 
twelve  baskets  in  two  tiers  of  six  baskets  each.  The  cost 
of  such  a  crate,  with  the  baskets,  runs  from  twenty-five 
cents  to  thirty  cents  each.  The  cost  is  too  high  for  general 
use,  and  such  a  package  can  be  used  profitably  only  when 
crops  are  grown  and  shipped  out  of  season  and  the  returns 
are  proportionately  higher  than  normal. 

Tomatoes  sold  in  small  baskets,  holding  about  ten  pounds 
each,  of  which  there  are  six  baskets  to  the  crate,  as  in  Fig.  21, 
should  be  wrapped  in  thin  paper  wrappers  for  the  best  result. 
The  wrapper  may  be  used  to  advertise  the  grower  and  to 
establish  a  brand.  Tomatoes  which  are  wrapped  will  carry 
better  and  open  up  in  better  condition  than  will  tomatoes 
which  are  not  wrapped.  Only  hot  house  grown  fruit  will 
usually  justify  the  use  of  expensive  packages  and  the  wrap- 
ping of  each  fruit. 


CHAPTER   VIII 
CROPS 

I.     ASPARAGUS 

Propagation.  Asparagus  beds,  or  plantations,  are  usually 
established  by  planting  one  year  old  plants.  Two  year 
old  plants  which  cost  more  are  often  planted,  but  the  one 
year  crowns  give  the  best  results  and  should  be  used  in 
starting  an  asparagus  plantation. 

The  seed  should  be  the  best  obtainable  and  is  best  sown 
with  a  seed  drill  in  rows  not  less  than  sixteen  inches  apart 
for  hand  cultivation,  nor  less  than  thirty  inches  apart  for 
horse  cultivation.  The  ground  selected  for  a  seed  bed  should 
be  a  rich  mellow  loam,  free  from  stones  or  rubbish.  The 
seed  should  not  be  covered  deeper  than  one  and  one-half 
inches.  Do  not  sow  the  seed  too  thickly.  The  plants  for 
best  development  should  stand  not  less  than  two  inches 
apart  in  the  row,  three  or  four  inches  apart  would  be  better. 

The  plants  should  be  lifted  in  the  fall  and  stored  in  a  root 
cellar  covered  with  moist  sand. 

Planting.  The  field  selected  for  an  asparagus  bed 
should  be  a  rich  deep  loam,  thoroughly  cultivated,  as  free 
as  possible  from  stones  or  rubbish  of  any  kind.  Previous  to 
planting,  the  field  should  be  heavily  fertilized  with  well 
rotted  manure.  This  should  be  supplemented  by  a  liberal 
application  of  high  grade,  complete  fertilizer.  Nitrate  of 
soda  should  be  applied  at  intervals  during  the  growing  sea- 
son. Spring  planting  is  generally  practiced. 

53 


54  MARKET  GARDENING 

The  crowns  should  be  set  in  furrows,  six  to  twelve  inches 
deep,  depending  upon  the  depth  of  the  top  soil.  It  is  not 
advisable  ever  to  make  furrows  so  deep  that  the  roots  will 
be  in  or  very  near  the  sub-soil.  Eight  to  ten  inches  is  the 
average  depth  of  planting.  The  reason  for  deep  planting 
is  that,  as  the  crowns  renew  themselves  each  year,  they  come 
nearer  the  surface.  Deep  planting  also  places  the  crown 
deep  enough  so  that  the  plantation  can  be  cultivated  by  a 
disc  harrow  without  injury  to  the  crowns.  Deep  planting 
thus  insures  a  longer  life  for  the  plantation  than  shallow 
planting. 

After  the  furrows  are  made,  make  sure  that  there  is  a 
layer  of  good  soil  in  the  bottom  of  the  furrow  on  which  to 
place  the  crowns.  Spread  the  fleshy  roots  out  so  that  their 
position  will  be  as  nearly  as  possible  that  in  which  they 
grew  in  the  seed  bed.  Cover  the  crowns  to  a  depth  of  two 
or  three  inches,  firming  the  soil  well  over  the  roots.  The 
crowns  should  not  be  covered  any  deeper  until  the  shoots 
come  through  the  ground,  when  the  furrows  may  be  gradually 
filled  in  by  cultivation.  The  furrows  can  usually  be  leveled 
by  the  cultivation  practiced  the  first  season,  in  any  event 
the  ground  should  be  leveled  by  fall. 

Distance  to  Plant.  In  good  rich  soil  the  rows  may 
be  four  feet  apart  and  the  plants  set  two  to  three  feet  apart 
in  the  row.  Planting  distances  vary  in  different  localities 
and  states,  but  the  average  distance  is  two  and  one-half  to 
four  feet. 

Cultivation.  As  early  as  the  ground  can  be  worked, 
thoroughly  cultivate  the  field  with  a  disc  harrow.  The  soil 
should  be  kept  well  cultivated  through  the  growing  season 
as  long  as  horse-drawn  tools  can  be  used  without  much 
injury  to  the  tops.  Hand  hoeing  may  be  necessary  at  times 
but  it  is  not  generally  practiced  on  large  plantations. 


CROPS  55 

Ridging.  There  are  two  kinds  of  asparagus  mar- 
keted, green  and  blanched  grass.  Blanched  grass  is  produced 
by  cutting  the  shoots  as  soon  as  the  tips  show  above  ground  ; 
green  grass  is  produced  by  cutting  the  shoots  as  soon  as 
they  have  grown  to  the  required  length  above  ground.  The 
shoots  may  be  cut  at  the  surface  of  the  ground  or  just  below 
the  surface.  Whether  blanched  grass  or  green  grass,  is 
desired,  the  practice  is  to  ridge  the  ground  over  the  rows. 
The  ridges  should  be  higher  for  producing  blanched  grass 
than  for  producing  green  grass.  The  purpose  of  the  ridge 
is  primarily  to  gain  a  greater  length  of  stalk  of  blanched 
grass. 

Harvesting.  A  light  cutting  of  asparagus  may  be  had 
the  second  year,  if  plenty  of  fertilizer  is  applied  to  the 
plantation.  The  third  year  the  cutting  may  continue  from 
three  to  four  weeks.  As  the  plantation  becomes  older,  the 
cutting  season  is  extended  until  it  may  continue  from  eight 
to  ten  weeks. 

The  shoots  are  gathered  by  cutting  them  off  with  a 
sharp  knife.  When  blanched  grass  is  desired,  the  knife  is 
passed  down  the  stalk  until  the  required  length  is  attained, 
when  the  shoot  is  cut  off.  The  stalks  should  be  cut  long 
enough  to  make  bunches  six  to  ten  inches  long.  The  num- 
ber of  stalks  to  the  bunch  varies,  but  the  bunches  should 
be  four  and  one-half  inches  in  diameter,  and  weigh  two  and 
one-half  to  three  pounds. 

Yield.  The  yield  per  acre  varies;  1500  to  2000  bunches 
per  acre  being  considered  excellent  yields.  The  returns 
often  run  as  high  as  $500.00  per  acre,  but  the  average  is 
$200.00  to  $250.00  per  acre,  for  plantations  in  their  prime. 

Fertilizers.  During  the  cutting  season,  nitrate  of  soda 
should  be  sown  along  the  rows,  or  broadcasted,  in  three 
or  four  applications,  After  the  cutting  season  is  over, 


56  MARKET  GARDENING 

apply  1000  to  2000  pounds  per  acre  of  a  high  grade  fertilizer. 
In  the  fall  broadcast  rotted  manure  at  the  rate  of  at  least 
20  cords  per  acre  and  let  it  lay  on  the  ground  over  the  winter. 
The  manure  should  be  disced  in  in  the  spring, 

II.     BEANS 

Soils.  Beans  do  well  on  almost  any  kind  of  soil  if 
it  contains  a  reasonable  quantity  of  humus.  Light,  well- 
drained  soils,  however,  are  especially  desirable.  Bush  beans 
do  best  in  sandy  soils.  Lima  beans  are  the  most  difficult 
to  grow  as  they  require  a  long  season  to  reach  maturity  and 
are  very  susceptible  to  adverse  conditions,  such  as  wet 
ground  at  the  time  of  planting  or  continued  cold  weather. 

Planting.  Beans  should  not  be  planted  until  danger 
of  frost  is  passed  and  the  ground  is  well  warmed,  although 
the  bush  varieties  are  more  resistant  to  cold  than  are  the 
pole  beans.  Beans  may  be  planted  in  hills  or  drills  as 
desired.  The  distance  between  rows  of  bush  beans,  where 
horse  cultivation  is  practiced,  is  thirty  inches  to  thirty-six 
inches.  When  hand  cultivation  is  practiced,  it  is  best  not 
to  plant  in  rows  closer  than  eighteen  or  twenty  inches.  The 
seed  should  be  of  the  best  quality.  Pole  beans  should  be 
planted  in  hills  three  or  four  feet  apart. 

Bush  beans  are  usually  planted  in  a  drill,  the  depth  of 
planting  varying  with  the  kind  of  soil  and  the  season  of 
planting,  from  one  inch  in  heavy  soils  to  three  inches  in 
lighter  soils. 

Use  of  Supports.  Wire  trellises  may  be  used,  or 
poles  seven  feet  or  more  in  height,  for  the  support  of  the 
pole  beans.  The  bark  should  be  left  on  the  poles  that  the 
beans  may  have  a  rough  surface  on  which  to  cling. 

Cultivation.     Frequent  and  thorough  cultivation  should 


CROPS  57 

be  practiced.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that 
the  bean  is  a  shallow -rooted  plant,  and  that  the  cultivation 
must  be  carefully  done  to  avoid  breaking  the  roots. 

Harvesting.  Snap  or  shell  beans  must  be  gathered 
by  hand.  Half -bushel  baskets  are  convenient  for  this  pur- 
pose. Field  beans  may  be  pulled  by  hand  or  harvested  by 
machines  that  cut  the  plants  off  close  to  the  ground  and 
leave  them  in  windrows.  After  cutting,  the  beans  are 
allowed  to  cure  until  in  the  proper  condition  to  run  through 
a  threshing  machine. 

Snap  or  shell  beans  are  marketed  in  baskets  or  boxes 
holding  a  bushel  each.  Dry  or  field  beans  are  generally 
marketed  in  sacks.  Previous  to  sacking,  the  beans  are  run 
through  machines  that  remove  the  dirt  and  rubbish. 

Varieties.  There  are  many  varieties  of  beans  and  the 
grower,  in  selecting  his  varieties,  will  do  best  to  choose 
such  varieties  as  have  been  proven  adapted  to  the  conditions 
under  which  he  intends  to  grow  them. 

Fertilizers.  Nitrogenous  fertilizers  are  not  required  to 
any  extent  for  beans.  A  complete  fertilizer  containing 
2%  or  3%  of  nitrogen,  8%  potash  and  10%  of  phosphoric 
acid,  is  well  adapted  to  fertilizing  beans.  This  should  be 
used  at  the  rate  of  500  to  1500  pounds  per  acre. 

To  maintain  the  supply  of  humus,  cover  crops  may  be 
grown  and  ploughed  under,  or  stable  manure  ploughed  in 
at  the  rate  of  10  to  15  cords  per  acre. 

III.     BEETS 

Soil.  Beets  do  best  in  light  soils;  sandy  loams  being 
particularly  desirable.  Such  soils  produce  a  crop  early, 
with  roots  smooth  and  free  from  fibrous  roots.  Heavy 
soils  tend  to  irregular  shaped  roots  and  to  the  production 


58 


MARKET    GARDENING 


CHOPS  59 

of  many  fibrous  roots.  If  beets  are  being  grown  for  a  local 
market,  not  too  discriminating,  they  may  be  a  profitable 
crop  when  grown  in  any  good  soil. 

Planting.  Beets  are  a  cold-loving  vegetable  and  may, 
therefore,  be  planted  in  the  spring  as  soon  as  the  ground  can 
be  gotten  into  good  condition.  The  seed  should  be  the  best 
quality  obtainable  and  should  be  sown  in  drills,  not  too 
thickly.  The  rows  should  be  fourteen  to  sixteen  inches 
apart.  The  distance  between  plants  in  the  row  will  depend 
upon  the  size  of  root  desired.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  sow  the 
seed  rather  thickly,  thin  them  when  six  to  eight  inches  high, 
and  sell  the  thinnings  for  greens.  The  next  pulling  would 
be  for  early  bunch  beets  and  the  final  harvest  would  be  of 
the  roots  near  maturity  or  when  fully  grown. 

Transplanting.  Eeets  transplant  easily  and  to  good 
advantage  in  sandy  loams.  The  plants  should  be  grown 
from  four  to  six  weeks  in  a  hot  bed  or  greenhouse  before 
transplanting.  Handle  the  seedling  carefully,  the  more 
careful  the  handling,  the  fewer  fibrous  roots  will  be  found. 
The  plants  should  be  well  hardened  before  moving  them  to 
the  field.  If  well  hardened,  they  will  stand  freezing  without 
damage. 

Marketing.  Early  beets  are  always  sold  in  bunches, 
the  number  in  a  bunch  varies  from  four  to  ten,  depending 
upon  the  season  and  the  size  of  the  roots.  More  mature 
beets  are  sold  by  the  bushel  box.  The  tops  are  cut  off  at 
least  an  inch  from  the  root. 

Fertilizers.  Early  beets  should  grow  very  quickly. 
The  beets  for  storage  need  not  be  grown  so  rapidly,  but 
should  maintain  a  steady  growth.  Nitrogenous  fertilizers 
are  necessary  for  earliness,  but  a  more  balanced  fertilizer 
is  best  for  the  later  crop.  The  ground  should  have  a  heavy 
dressing  of  stable  manure  at  the  rate  of  at  least  20  cords  to 


60 


MARKET  GARDENING 


-a 


CROPS  61 

the  acre.  This  should  be  supplemented  by  the  application 
of  a  high  grade  complete  fertilizer  containing  4%  nitrogen, 
8%  phosphorus,  and  10%  potash,  and  used  at  the  rate  of  a 
ton  to  the  acre. 

Storage.  Beets  may  be  stored  in  pits,  out  of  doors, 
or  in  cellars,  buried  in  moist  sand.  The  roots  are  pulled 
and  the  tops  cut  about  an  inch  long.  The  roots  should 
be  kept  in  storage  at  about  33°  F. 


IV.     CABBAGE 

Planting.  Cabbage  is  a  transplanted  crop,  the  seed 
being  planted  in  greenhouses  or  hot  beds  for  the  first  crop 
and  in  a  protected  location  out  of  doors,  or  in  a  hot  bed,  for 
the  later  crop.  The  plants  are  ready  for  transplanting  when 
six  to  eight  weeks  old.  For  early  planting,  the  seed  should 
be  sown  about  March  first  and  transplanted  to  two  by  two 
inches  when  the  first  true  leaves  appear.  The  plants  may 
be  set  in  the  field  as  soon  as  the  ground  can  be  gotten  in 
condition  in  the  spring.  If  properly  hardened  before  plant- 
ing out,  they  will  stand  frost  without  any  damage.  The 
seed  for  the  late  crop  is  generally  planted  abaut  June  first. 
The  seed  should  be  planted  in  a  protected  Io2ation  but  the 
plants  need  not  necessarily  be  transplanted  until  ready  for 
the  field.  The  selection  of  the  seed  for  the  cabbage  crop  is 
most  important  in  order  that  the  strain  or  type  of  head 
desired  may  be  produced. 

Planting  distances  vary  with  the  variety  of  cabbage 
grown.  Early  varieties  may  be  set  as  close  as  fifteen  by 
twenty-eight  inches,  the  later  sorts  should  be  set  farther 
apart  up  to  twenty-four  by  thirty-six  inches. 

Soil.  Cabbages  do  best  in  the  heavier,  cooler  kinds 
of  soil,  plenty  of  moisture  being  of  great  importance  for  the 


62 


MARKET  GARDENING 


Q 


CROPS  63 

successful  growing  of  this  crop.  The  ground  should  be  well 
prepared  before  planting  cabbages. 

Cultivation.  Cultivation  should  begin  as  soon  as  the 
plants  are  set  in  the  field  and  continue  as  long  as  the 
spreading  plants  will  permit. 

Harvesting.  The  time  of  harvesting  depends  upon 
the  size  of  heads  desired.  The  grower  is  largely  influenced 
by  the  market  conditions.  Small  heads  may  often  be  cut 
to  advantage,  particularly  if  the  cabbage  are  sold  by  the 
head;  however,  it  seldom  pays  to  cut  small  heads  for  sale 
by  the  barrel. 

The  heads  are  usually  gathered  by  cutting  them  off  with 
a  butcher  knife.  The  outer  leaves  should  be  broken  down, 
the  head  pushed  to  one  side  and  the  stem  cut  close  to  the 
head.  For  immediate  sale,  the  outer  leaves  should  all  be 
removed,  but  when  the  cabbage  are  to  be  stored,  some  or 
all  of  the  outer  leaves  should  be  retained.  When  stored  in 
pits,  the  stump  is  pulled  with  the  head  and  the  whole  plant 
placed  in  the  pit.  Cabbages  to  be  stored  in  cellars  are 
gathered  with  some  of  the  outer  leaves  on  and  placed  in 
narrow,  well  ventilated  bins.  The  temperature  should  be 
kept  at  33°  F. 

There  are  a  number  of  types  of  cabbage  grown,  the  most 
common  of  which  are  Wakefield,  Flat  Dutch,  Ball  Head, 
Savoy  and  Red  Cabbage.  The  Wakefield  group  contains 
the  earlier  varieties,  the  other  types  contain  the  later 
varieties. 

Fertilizers.  Cabbages  are  gross  feeders  and  need  an 
abundance  of  quickly  available  plant  food  for  their  proper 
development.  Fifteen  to  twenty-five  cords  of  manure  per 
acre  should  be  ploughed  under  and  a  dressing  of  1500 
to  2000  pounds  of  a  high  grade  complete  fertilizer  applied 
just  previous  to  the  final  harrowing.  An  application 


64  MARKET  GARDENING 

of  150  pounds  of  nitrate  of  soda  may  be  made  with 
benefit  after  the  plants  have  been  set  three  to  five 
weeks. 

V.     BRUSSELS   SPROUTS 

Brussels  sprouts  require  about  the  same  treatment  as 
do  cabbage.  They  require  a  somewhat  longer  period  for 
development  than  is  required  for  late  cabbage  and  the  plants 
should  be  set  in  the  field  at  least  ten  days  earlier  than  the 
late  crop  of  cabbage.  Brussels  sprouts  are  a  hardy  crop  and 
the  main  cutting  does  not  occur  until  late  in  the  fall.  In 
some  localities  the  cutting  continues  throughout  the  winter. 

The  little  heads  develop  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  and  the 
crop  is  gathered  as  it  matures,  several  cuttings  being  had 
from  each  plant.  The  lower  leaves  should  be  broken  or  cut 
off  as  the  heads  develop.  When  the  climate  is  severe  the 
plants  may  be  lifted  and  planted  in  loam  or  sand  in  cellars. 
Such  a  practice  is  not  of  general  use  but  is  confined  to  small 
crops  or  for  family  use. 

The  plants  should  be  set  the  same  distances  as  for 
cabbage,  the  ground  being  rich  in  quickly  available  plant 
food.  The  sprouts  are  ready  for  cutting  as  soon  as  of  proper 
size.  They  are  usually  marketed  in  small  baskets  such  as 
strawberry  baskets.  The  top  layer  should  be  carefully  faced. 

VI.     CAULIFLOWER 

Soils.  Cauliflower  can  be  grown  sucessfully  on  a 
variety  of  soils.  It  does  best  on  rather  heavy,  clayey  soils, 
and  attains  to  its  highest  development  in  such  soils,  par- 
ticularly if  planted  near  a  large  body  of  water.  Low  lands 
bordering  lakes  or  the  ocean,  are  very  favorable  locations 
for  growing  cauliflower. 


CHOPS 


65 


FIG,  27.— Brussels  Sprouts. 


66  MARKET  GARDENING 

Planting.  For  the  early  crop,  the  seed  must  be  sown 
in  hot  beds  or  in  a  green-house,  about  March  1st.  The 
seedlings  are  transplanted  to  two  inches  apart.  The  soil 
in  which  the  seeds  are  sown  and  in  which  the  seedlings 
are  transplanted,  must  be  carefully  selected  so  that  no  damp- 
ing off  fungi  are  introduced.  Soil  sterilization  is  sometimes 
resorted  to  that  the  soil  may  be  free  from  diseases. 

The  seedlings  must  be  grown  under  the  most  favorable 
conditions  that  they  may  not  in  any  way  be  checked ;  plants 
that  have  been  checked  produce  small,  imperfect  heads. 
The  plants  should  not  be  set  in  the  field  until  danger  of  hard 
frosts  is  passed'.  Planting  distances  vary  from  two  by  three 
to  three  by  three  and  one-half  feet  depending  upon  the 
variety  grown  and  the  kind  of  cultivation  to  be  practised. 

Fertilizers.  Cauliflower  requires  an  abundant  supply 
of  quickly  available  plant  food.  A  heavy  application  of 
rotted  stable  manure  should  be  ploughed  under,  and  from 
1000  to  2000  pounds  of  a  high  grade,  complete  fertilizer 
should  be  harrowed  in  previous  to  setting  the  plants  in 
the  field.  After  the  plants  are  well  established,  nitrate  of 
soda  at  the  rate  of  150  to  200  pounds  per  acre,  should  be 
sown  along  the  rows,  or  broad  casted,  two  or  three  times 
during  the  growing  season. 

As  soon  as  the  heads  begin  to  form,  the  outer  leaves 
should  be  drawn  together  over  the  head  and  tied  with  raffia 
or  string.  This  is  done  to  protect  the  head  from  rain  and 
sunlight,  in  order  to  produce  clean,  white  heads. 

Harvesting.  Cauliflower  may  be  cut  at  any  time  after 
the  heads  are  of  sufficient  size  to  supply  the  demands 
of  the  market  or  consumer.  The  heads  should  be  cut  low 
enough  and  with  enough  stump  so  that  they  will  have  a 
layer  of  leaves  surrounding  them.  The  leaves  are  trimmed 
off  even  with  the  head  or  a  little  beyond  it.  The  leaves 


CROPS  67 

serve  as  a  protection  for  the  heads  in  shipment  and  hand- 
ling. 

Cauliflower  is  marketed  in  barrels,  bushel  boxes  and 
crates. 

VII.     CELERY 

Planting.  In  the  North,  the  seed  for  the  early  crop 
should  be  sown  from  March  1st  to  March  15th.  The  seed 
should  be  sown  in  flats  containing  finely  prepared  soil  well 
filled  with  humus,  the  seed  being  very  small,  and  the  seedlings 
not  strong  enough  to  push  through  soils  that  will  pack  with 
watering.  As  soon  as  the  plants  are  about  one  inch  high, 
they  should  be  transplanted  to  two  inches  apart  each  way, 
in  flats  containing  rich  soil  well  supplied  with  humus. 

Seed  for  the  late  crop  may  be  sown  in  the  open  as  soon 
as  the  ground  can  be  prepared  in  the  spring. 

Distance.  The  distance  between  plants  in  the  row 
in  the  field  is  from  four  to  twelve  inches,  depending  upon 
the  variety  of  celery  grown.  The  early  or  smaller  sorts  may 
be  set  closer  than  the  late  or  winter  varieties. 

The  distance  between  rows  varies  with  the  varieties  and 
the  manner  of  blanching  the  celery. 

Early  celery  that  is  to  be  blanched  by  staking  boards, 
or  heavy  paper,  against  the  plants,  may  be  set  in  rows 
twenty-four  to  thirty  inches  apart.  Late  celery  that  is  to 
be  blanched,  or  partly  blanched,  by  banking  with  earth, 
should  not  be  set  in  rows  closer  than  four  feet,  that  there 
may  be  sufficient  soil  to  plough  up  to  the  plants. 

Planting.  The  plants  should  not  be  set  in  the  field 
until  danger  of  hard  frosts  is  passed.  Mature  plants  will 
stand  slight  freezing  with  little  danger,  particularly  if  covered 
with  soil,  but  if  the  plants  are  severely  frosted  their  keeping 
quality  is  impaired. 


68 


MARKET  GARDENING 


' 


a, 


I       M 


CROPS  69 

A  good  plan  for  planting  early  and  late  celery  is  to  set 
the  two  kinds  in  alternate  rows  two  feet  apart.  The  early 
celery  is  to  be  blanched  with  boards,  or  heavy  paper,  staked 
against  the  plants.  The  early  celery  is  harvested  before  the 
late  celery  needs  much  banking,  leaving  the  late  celery  in 
rows  four  feet  apart. 

Fertilizers.  Celery  is  a  heavy  feeder  on  nitrogenous 
fertilizers,  and  applications  of  at  least  25  cords  per  acre  of 
rotted  manure  should  be  made  for  this  crop.  A  complete 
high  grade  fertilizer,  containing  4-8-10,  should  be  applied 
at  the  rate  of  1500  to  3000  pounds  per  acre  previous  to 
planting.  Nitrate  of  soda  should  be  sown  along  the  rows 
at  the  rate  of  200  pounds  per  acre  at  intervals  after  the 
plants  are  well  established. 

Cultivation.  The  ground  should  be  kept  thoroughly 
cultivated  from  the  time  that  the  plants  are  set  in  the  field 
until  the  time  of  harvest.  Celery  requires  large  quantities 
of  water,  and  unless  there  is  a  sufficient  normal  supply, 
irrigation  must  be  practiced  to  insure  a  good  crop. 

Harvesting.  Celery  is  ready  for  harvesting  as  soon  as 
sufficiently  blanched,  so  long  as  the  plants  are  of  sufficient 
size.  The  plants  may  be  dug  up  with  a  spade,  as  in  Fig.  28, 
or  ploughed  out,  or  dug  with  a  small  tree  digger  which 
straddles  the  row  as  shown  in  Fig.  29.  The  tree  digger  is 
very  effective  in  harvesting  celery  on  a  big  scale.  It  loosens 
the  plants,  cutting  off  only  a  small  part  of  the  roots,  and  does 
not  break  the  stalks  as  is  usually  the  case  when  the  plants 
are  ploughed  out. 

Preparing  for  Market.  The  roots  are  trimmed  off 
to  a  wedge  shape,  the  unblanched  or  broken  stalks  are 
stripped  off,  and  if  the  plants  are  small,  several  of  them  are 
tied  into  a  bunch.  Celery  should  be  thoroughly  washed 
before  bunching  or  packing  for  market. 


70 


MARKET    GARDENING 


CROPS  71 

Blanching.  As  has  been  indicated,  celery  may  be 
blanched  by  banking  with  soil,  or  by  staking  boards,  or  heavy 
paper  along  the  rows.  Early  celery  cannot  often  be  success- 
fully blanched  by  banking  with  soil,  but  must  be  blanched 
with  boards  or  paper.  Blanching  must  begin  in  warm 
weather,  and  banking  with  soil  at  this  time  will  cause  the 
celery  to  rust.  The  lumber  used  for  blanching  should  be 
good,  straight  boards  one  foot  wide,  ten  to  twelve  feet 
long.  The  boards  are  placed  against  the  plants  and  drawn 
together  at  the  top  and  held  in  position  by  staking,  or  by 
forcing  stiff,  heavy  pieces  of  wire,  bent  into  the  shape  of  a 
hairpin,  down  the  outside  of  the  boards.  Recently,  a 
heavy  grade  of  paper,  similar  to  prepared  roofing,  has  been 
on  the  market,  cut  one  foot  wide  and  in  varying  lengths.  The 
cost  is  about  $15.00  per  thousand  feet.  The  paper  also  is 
held  in  place  by  using  heavy  wire  hairpins,  and  is  con- 
sidered equal  to  boards  for  blanching.  It  is  easy  to 
place  in  position,  and  can  be  rolled  up  and  stored  in  a  small 
space  in  the  fall. 

Late  celery  is  blanched,  or  partly  blanched,  in  the  field, 
by  banking  with  soil.  The  soil  may  be  ploughed  up  to  the 
plants  with  a  plough  or  a  wing  cultivator.  A  celery  banker 
is  an  effective  implement  to  use  in  ploughing  the  soil  up  to 
and  against  the  plants.  It  has  a  wire  guard  that  forces  the 
tops  back  and  holds  them  in  place  until  the  soil  has  been 
pushed  against  the  plants. 

Storing.  Celery  to  be  blanched  in  storage  is  only 
partly  blanched  in  the  field.  The  plants  are  lifted  with  most 
of  their  roots,  and  after  the  broken  and  crooked  stalks  are 
stripped  off,  the  plants  are  placed  in  cellars,  pits,  or  any 
building  where  the  roots  can  be  set  in  moist  soil  and  the 
temperature  kept  low.  Just  above  the  freezing  point  is  the 
most  desirable  temperature.  The  plants  should  be  set  as 


72 


MARKET   GARDENING 


CROPS  73 

closely  together  as  possible,  the  roots  being  covered  with 
soil.  The  plants  should  be  held  in  place  by  staking  up 
boards  and  setting  the  plants  against  them.  It  is  a  good 
plan  to  leave  an  alley  six  inches  wide  every  ten  to  twelve 
feet,  to  provide  good  air  drainage.  The  air  surrounding  the 
plants  should  be  kept  moist,  and  if  the  plants  become  too 
dry,  water  the  soil,  being  careful  not  to  wet  the  plants  more 
than  is  necessary.  Celery  will  continue  to  grow  and  to 
blanch  in  storage  if  the  temperature  is  kept  a  few  degrees 
above  freezing. 

VIII.     CUCUMBERS 

Soil.  In  the  lighter  soils,  cucumbers  will  produce 
earlier,  but  in  the  heavier  soils  the  bearing  will  be  heavier 
and  over  a  longer  period.  The  soil  should  be  thoroughly 
cultivated  before  planting  the  seed. 

Planting.  The  seed  should  not  be  planted  until  danger 
of  frosts  is  passed.  A  plan  followed  by  some  growers  is 
to  plant  early  and  make  successive  plantings  a  week  apart; 
all  plants  not  required  are  afterwards  cut  out  with  a  hoe. 

The  seeds  may  be  planted  in  hills  or  in  drills,  the  distance 
between  hills  being  four  by  five  to  six  by  six  feet.  Plants 
in  the  drill  are  thinned  to  twelve  to  sixteen  inches  apart. 

Fertilizer.  The  soil  should  be  well  manured  before 
ploughing,  and  just  previous  to  the  last  harrowing  before 
planting,  1000  to  2000  pounds  of  a  high  grade,  complete 
fertilizer  should  be  applied. 

The  cucumber  requires  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  to 
insure  fruitfulness;  a  4-8-10  fertilizer  is  well  adapted  to 
this  crop. 

Harvesting.  When  cucumbers  are  grown  for  pickles, 
the  picking  should  begin  as  soon  as  the  fruits  are  of  the 


MARKET   GARDENING 


.2 


CROPS  75 

desired  size.  For  slicing,  cucumbers  should  not  usually  be 
gathered  until  at  least  six  inches  long.  Whether  the  cucum- 
bers are  grown  for  pickles  or  for  slicing  purposes  they  should 
be  gathered  at  least  twice  a  week  to  secure  uniformity  in 
the  size  of  the  fruits. 

Cultivation.  Cultivation  should  begin  as  soon  as  the 
plants  break  the  ground  and  should  continue  as  long  as 
possible  without  too  great  injury  to  the  vines. 

IX.     DANDELION 

Planting.  The  dandelion  is  a  hardy  crop  and  may 
be  planted  early  in  the  spring  or  in  the  early  fall  for  spring 
cutting.  When  grown  in  the  fall,  the  seed  should  be  sown 
early  enough  so  that  the  plants  will  be  nearly  full  grown  by 
the  time  hard  freezing  weather  occurs.  It  is  desirable  to 
mulch  lightly  with  straw,  although  mulching  is  not  necessary 
for  the  successful  wintering  of  this  crop. 

Soil.  The  leaves  are  the  edible  portion  of  this  plant 
and  the  ground  selected  for  dandelions  should  be  rich  and 
friable.  The  seed  should  be  planted  in  rows  sixteen  to 
eighteen  inches  apart,  and  when  planted  in  the  rows  for 
growing  to  maturity  the  seedlings  should  be  thinned  to  at 
least  six  inches  apart.  The  seed  may  be  planted  in  a  seed 
bed  and  the  plants  transplanted  as  desired. 

Harvesting.  Fall  grown  dandelions  are  ready  for  har- 
vesting as  soon  as  the  season  opens  in  the  spring.  They 
may  be  cut  with  a  knife  by  hand  or  by  the  use  of  a  sharpened 
shuffle  hoe  as  shown  in  Fig.  31.  The  plants  should  be  care- 
fully washed  and  packed  in  bushel  boxes  or  baskets  for 
marketing, 


76  MARKET   GARDENING 


X.     EGG   PLANT 

Soil.  The  lighter  soils  only  are  adapted  to  the  growing 
of  egg  plant,  heavy  soils  being  too  cold  for  this  vegetable. 
The  'soil  should  be  rich  in  humus,  should  be  deep,  and 
should  have  a  southern  exposure  to  insure  warmth. 

Starting  the  Plants.  The  egg  plant  must  be  started 
under  glass,  to  be  ready  for  the  field  by  early  June.  The 
seed  should  be  sown  in  flats,  or  a  good  seed  bed,  about  the 
middle  of  March  and  the  seedlings  should  be  pricked  out 
to  two  by  two  inches.  The  temperature  must  be  kept  high, 
not  less  than  65°  F.  at  any  time.  The  plants  must  maintain 
a  steady  growth;  if  checked  in  any  way  the  yield  will  be 
far  short  of  normal. 

Planting.  The  plants  should  not  be  set  in  the  field 
until  the  ground  is  thoroughly  warmed.  The  distance 
between  plants  should  be  two  by  three  'to  four  by  four  feet. 

Fertilizer.  A  liberal  supply  of  nitrogen  is  necessary 
for  the  quick  growth  of  the  plants.  The  soil  should  be  rich 
in  humus;  at  least  20  cords  to  the  acre  of  rotted  manure 
should  be  ploughed  under.  An  application  of  1000  to  2000 
pounds  per  acre  of  a  high  grade,  complete  fertilizer  should 
be  made  and  harrowed  in  previous  to  planting.  A  top 
dressing  of  nitrate  of  soda,  at  the  rate  of  200  pounds  per 
acre,  may  be  made  after  the  plants  have  become  well  estab- 
lished. 

XI.     HORSE-RADISH 

Desirability.  In  old-fashioned  gardens,  horse-radish 
was  considered  one  of  the  essential  vegetables  and  its  pop- 
ularity still  exists,  the  ground-up  roots  mixed  with  vinegar 
being  much  relished  as  a  sauce  with  cold  meats  and  shell 
fish.  In  the  home  garden,  horse-radish  is  usually  grown  in 


CROPS 


77 


78  MARKET   GARDENING 

a  corner,  or  beside  a  fence  out  of  the  way,  where  it  is  allowed 
to  grow  at  will. 

Planting.  Commercially,  this  crop  is  grown  quite  ex- 
tensively in  some  sections.  The  method  of  propogation  is 
to  plant  the  small  side  roots  with  a  dibble.  Any  piece  of 
root,  an  inch  or  more  long,  will  produce  a  plant  and  root  of 
good  size.  The  most  desirable  size  root  for  planting  is  a 
piece  the  size  of  a  lead  pencil,  four  to  six  inches  long. 

Horse-radish  may  be  grown  as  a  main  or  as  a  companion 
crop.  When  grown  as  a  main  crop,  the  roots  are  set  in  rows 
twenty-four  to  thirty  inches  apart,  and  the  roots  set  ten  to 
twelve  inches  apart  in  the  row.  Horse-radish  and  early 
cabbage  make  excellent  companions  and  are  largely  so  grown 
in  the  Eastern  states.  The  cabbage  and  horse-radish  being 
set  alternately  in  the  row,  the  cabbages  mature  and  are  out 
of  the  way  so  that  the  horse-radish  has  the  land  to  itself 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  season. 

Harvesting  and  Marketing.  The  roots  are  ploughed 
out  in  the  fall  and  the  tops  are  trimmed  off.  The  roots  are 
then  buried  in  moist  sand  to  await  manufacture  into  sauce. 
The  larger  roots  are  ground  up,  the  smaller  roots  being 
saved  for  propogation.  Some  growers  sell  the  roots  while 
others  grind  up  the  roots  and  bottle  the  product.  The 
market  is  limited  for  horse-radish,  but,  in  favorable  locations, 
it  is  a  profitable  crop.  The  yield  varies  from  three  to  five 
or  six  tons  per  acre  and  the  price  varies  largely  with  the 
season,  the  quality  of  the  roots  and  the  demand  for  them. 

XII.     LETTUCE 

Soil.  Lettuce  may  be  grown  successfully  in  most 
soils,  if  well  supplied  with  rotted  manure  and  liberally 
fertilized  with  high  grade,  chemical  fertilizers.  Light  sandy 


CHOPS 


79 


80  MARKET   GARDENING 

soils  that  have  had  heavy  dressings  of  manure  are  best 
adapted  to  growing  this  crop. 

Starting  the  Plants.  Lettuce  may  be  transplanted 
or  grown  to  maturity  where  sown.  For  transplanting,  the 
seed  should  be  sown  eight  to  ten  weeks  before  the  plants  are 
to  be  set  in  the  field.  The  seed  should  be  sown  in  flats  or 
in  a  seed  bed  and  the  seedlings  should  be  grown  under  rather 
cool  conditions. 

Planting.  The  plants  may  be  set  in  the  field  as  soon 
as  the  ground  can  be  gotten  into  shape  in  the  spring. 
The  plants  should  not  be  set  less  than  a  foot  apart  each  way 
in  the  field.  In  hot  beds  or  cold  frames,  the  distance  is 
usually  nine  by  nine  inches. 

Fertilizer.  Heavy  applications  of  rotted  manure  should 
be  ploughed  under.  Lettuce  does  very  well,  however, 
if  rather  fresh  manure  is  used.  In  any  event,  for  best  results, 
the  soil  should  be  well  filled  with  humus.  An  application 
of  1000  to  2000  pounds  of  a  high  grade  complete  fertilizer 
should  be  made  and  harrowed  in  previous  to  planting.  Top 
dressings  of  200  pounds  of  nitrate  of  soda  to  the  acre  should 
be  made  at  intervals,  after  the  plants  are  well  established. 

Season.  Lettuce  is  a  cool  weather  crop  and  should  be 
grown  only  in  the  spring  and  fall  for  heading  purposes. 
The  plants  will  stand  several  degrees  of  freezing  with  no 
harm,  if  they  have  been  well  hardened  before  setting  in 
the  field. 

Harvesting.  Lettuce  is  commonly  gathered  by  pull- 
ing up  the  plants,  which  are  then  taken  to  the  packing 
shed  and  thoroughly  washed,  after  which  the  roots  are  cut 
"off,  smoothly,  just  below  the  lowest  leaves.  After  washing 
and  trimming,  the  plants  are  put  into  crates,  baskets  or 
boxes,  for  shipping  to  market. 

Varieties.     There   are   two    general    types    of    lettuce; 


CROPS  81 

head  lettuce  and  loose  leaf,  or  non-heading  lettuce.  What 
variety  shall  be  grown  is  a  question  to  be  decided  by  the 
market  demands.  Tennis  Ball  and  the  numerous  strains 
of  this  variety  are  generally  grown  for  head  lettuce.  Grand 
Rapids  and  other  loose  leaf  varieties  are  grown  for  loose 
headed  lettuce.  Cos  Lettuce  is  an  excellent  kind  rapidly 
coming  into  favor.  It  is  an  upright  grower  with  a  compact 
head.  The  leaves  are  crisp  and  tender,  and  possess  a  fine 
flavor. 

XIII.    MUSKMELON 

Soil.  Muskmelons  may  be  grown  successfully  on  a 
variety  of  soils,  but  the  lighter  soils,  well  filled  with  humus, 
are  preferred.  Climatic  conditions  are  apparently  of  more 
influence  than  soils  on  this  crop,  the  muskmelon  not  stand- 
ing frosts.  Hot  days  and  warm  nights  are  very  favorable 
for  its  rapid  development.  Care  must  be  had  that  sufficient 
water  is  available  at  all  times  as  a  lack  of  moisture  is  sure 
to  cause  weakened  plants  and  fruits  of  small  size.  In  the 
West,  where  alkali  is  present,  irrigation  must  not  be  too  late 
or  the  flavor  of  the  fruit  will  be  hurt. 

Planting.  Plant  the  seed  in  the  open  only  after  all 
danger  of  frost  is  passed.  To  secure  the  earliest  results, 
successive  plantings  at  intervals  of  a  week  may  be  made, 
and  the  undesired  plants  may  be  pulled  or  hoed  out. 

A  plan  followed  by  many  growers  is  to  start  the  seed  in 
pots  or  small  baskets,  not  over  four  weeks  before  the  time 
for  setting  the  plants  in  the  field.  The  plants  are  grown  in 
hot  beds  or  green-houses,  and  the  temperature  during  the 
last  week  is  kept  as  nearly  as  possible  the  same  as  that 
prevailing  in  the  field. 

The  plants  are  carefully  removed  from  the  pots  or  baskets 
with  all  the  earth  in  which  they  have  grown,  care  being  taken 


82  MARKET   GARDENING 

that  the  ball  of  earth  is  broken  or  disturbed  as  little  as 
possible.  Plants  started  early  will  produce  marketable 
fruits  a  week  to  ten  days  ahead  of  their  normal  season. 

Planting  distances  vary  from  five  by  five  to  six  by  seven 
feet.  The  common  practice  is  to  plant  six  by  six  feet.  Do 
not  make  hills;  level  culture  is  preferable. 

Picking.  For  a  local  market,  the  fruit  may  be  allowed 
to  remain  attached  to  the  vines  until  fully  ripened.  For 
long  shipments,  the  fruit  should  be  gathered  as  soon  as 
it  may  be  separated  from  the  vine.  As  ripening  occurs, 
the  stem  gradually  loosens  its  attachment  to  the  melon, 
and  when  fully  ripe,  it  will  often  become  detached  because 
of  the  weight  of  the  vine  alone. 

Fertilizer.  Stable  manures  are  the  best  sources  of 
plant  food  for  the  muskmelon,  the  plants  doing  best  in 
soils  containing  an  abundance  of  organic  matter.  Care  must 
be  taken  not  to  fertilize  too  heavily  with  nitrogenous  fer- 
tilizers. An  excess  of  nitrogen  causes  large  growth  of  vine 
at  the  expense  of  fruitfulness. 

A  high  grade,  complete  fertilizer  should  be  applied  at 
the  rate  of  about  1000  pounds  per  acre,  just  before 
planting. 

XIV.     ONIONS 

Soil.  Rich  bottom  lands,  composed  of  fine  alluvial  soil, 
are  especially  desirable  plots  in  which  to  grow  onions. 
Muck  or  peat  soils  also  give  excellent  yields  of  onions,  and 
large  areas  of  such  soils  are  now  used  for  the  production  of 
this  vegetable.  The  lighter  or  sandy  loams  are  very  de- 
sirable for  onion  growing  if  they  contain  plenty  of  organic 
matter.  Clay  or  silt  soils  are  not  desirable  because  of 
their  tendency  to  bake  and  pack  after  the  seed  are  sown. 


CROPS 


83 


84  MARKET  GARDENING 

The  soil  should  be  very  thoroughly  prepared.  Fall  plough- 
ing is  universally  practiced  in  onion  growing  sections. 

Planting.  The  bulk  of  the  onion  crop  is  produced 
from  seed  sown  in  the  spring.  Sowing  should  begin  as  soon 
as  the  ground  can  be  gotten  in  proper  condition.  The  seeds 
are  sown  with  a  hand  drill  in  rows,  twelve  to  sixteen  inches 
apart,  when  hand  cultivation  is  practiced.  For  horse  cul- 
tivation, the  rows  should  be  twenty-four  to  .thirty  inches 
apart.  A  small  well-trained  mule  may  be  used  to  cultivate 
in  rows  as  close  together  as  eighteen  inches. 

The  amount  of  seed  to  use  per  acre  will  depend  upon 
whether  the  land  is  favorable  to  the  growth  of  the  seedlings, 
the  season  and  the  quality  of  the  seed.  The  seed  should 
always  be  tested  to  determine  its  viability.  When  good 
seed  is  used  and  the  rows  are  fourteen  inches  apart,  four 
pounds  of  seed  per  acre  should  be  sufficient. 

Early  onions  are  grown  from  sets,  which  may  be  planted 
in  the  fall  or  spring.  Tree  onion  sets  may  be  planted  in 
the  fall.  Sets  grown  from  seed  sown  very  thick,  so  as  to 
produce  very  small  bulbs,  should  be  planted  in  the  spring. 
The  sets  planted  in  the  spring  should  be  placed  in  the 
ground  as  soon  as  it  can  be  gotten  into  shape  for  planting. 
Fall  planted  sets  should  be  put  out  four  to  six  weeks  before 
hard  freezing  weather. 

Sets  are  planted  for  bunching  onions,  or  for  the  pro- 
duction of  early  mature  onions.  Bunching  onions  are  also 
grown  from  seed. 

Cultivation.  The  cultivation  should  begin  even  before 
the  seedlings  appear,  and  should  continue  throughout 
the  growing  season.  The  cultivation  should  be  shallow 
so  as  not  to  disturb  the  onion  roots,  which  are  close  to 
the  surface. 

Onion  cultivation  is  carried  on  almost  entirely  by  hand 


CROPS  85 

labor.  At  the  first  weeding,  the  surplus  seedlings  should 
be  removed  so  that  the  plants  will  stand  about  two  inches 
apart  in  the  row.  Hand-wheel  hoes,  Fig.  34,  either  single 
or  double-wheel,  are  necessary  for  cultivating  onions  grown 
in  narrow  rows. 

Onion  Sets.  Onion  sets  are  produced  by  sowing  seed 
very  thickly  on  the  ground  not  very  rich  nor  too  well 
supplied  with  moisture.  The  seedlings  have  to  compete 
so  severely  with  one  another  and  against  unfavorable  con- 
ditions, that  the  bulbs  never  attain  to  any  great  size.  As 
soon  as  the  tops  begin  to  turn  yellow,  the  sets  are  harvested, 
dried  and  topped. 

Multiplier  or  Perennial  Tree  onions  produce  sets  on 
their  tops.  These  are  used  the  same  as  sets  grown  from 
seed.  As  has  been  indicated,  Perennial  Tree  onions  are 
very  hardy  and  may  be  planted  in  the  fall,  six  to  eight 
weeks  before  hard  freezing  weather  sets  in.  After  the 
ground  freezes,  the  sets  should  be  covered  with  a  light 
mulch  of  straw  or  strawy  manure. 

Harvesting.  Onions  for  bunching,  should  be  pulled 
as  soon  as  the  bulbs  are  of  sufficient  size.  The  number 
of  plants  to  the  bunch  will  depend  upon  the  size  of  the 
plants  and  upon  market  requirements. 

Dry  onions  should  be  allowed  to  ripen  until  the  tops 
die  down  before  being  pulled.  The  general  practice,  how- 
ever, where  large  areas  are  to  be  harvested,  is  to  begin 
pulling  the  onions  as  soon  as  the  tops  are  yellow.  The 
onions  are  pulled  and  thrown  into  a  windrow.  The  onions 
are  allowed  to  dry,  or  cure,  in  the  windrow  for  several  days, 
or  until  the  tops  are  dry  enough  to  easily  be  twisted  off. 
They  are  then  ready  for  topping,  grading,  sacking,  and 
storing. 

Onions  in  storage,  require  cool,  dry  conditions.     The 


86 


MARKET  GARDENING 


8 

D 


CROPS  87 

temperature  should  not  drop  below  32°,  about  35°  being 
the  best  temperature  to  maintain. 

Transplanting  Onions.  The  Spanish  type  of  onions 
are  profitably  grown  by  transplanting  seedlings  that  are 
six  to  eight  weeks  old.  The  seed  may  be  sown  in  a  hot 
bed  or  green-house.  The  seedlings  should  be  kept  topped 
to  about  four  inches,  to  produce  strong  plants.  Before 
setting  in  the  field,  the  plants  should  be  cut  back  to  about 
three  inches,  and  the  roots  trimmed  off.  The  plants  should 
be  set  not  closer  than  four  inches  in  the  row  in  the  field. 

Varieties.  The  Danvers  Yellow  Globe,  and  the  South- 
port,  Red,  White  and  Yellow  Globe,  are  the  favorite 
varieties  to  grow  from  seed  in  the  North.  The  Prizetaker 
is  the  favorite  for  transplanting.  The  globe  onions  do  not 
transplant  profitably. 

Fertilizers.  Stable  manures  are  valuable  sources  of 
plant  food  for  onions,  if  the  manures  are  previously  com- 
posted and  are  applied  only  when  rotted.  Manures  con- 
taining coarse  material  should  not  be  used.  The  onion  is 
a  shallow  rooted  vegetable  and  requires  an  abundance  of 
quickly  available  plant  food.  Chemical  fertilizers  are, 
therefore,  very  generally  used  in  growing  onions.  High 
grade,  complete  fertilizers,  containing  at  least  4%  of  nitrogen 
should  be  used.  The  formulas  used  by  different  growers 
vary  considerably,  but  in  most  cases  the  nitrogen  and  potash 
elements  are  high.  A  fertilizer  containing  5%  nitrogen, 
8%  phosphoric  acid  and  12%  potash,  should  be  applied  at 
the  rate  of  1000  pounds  to  2500  pounds  per  acre,  depending 
upon  the  condition  of  the  soil.  A  top  dressing  of  nitrate 
of  soda,  at  the  rate  of  150  pounds  per  acre,  may  be  applied 
after  the  plants  are  four  to  six  inches  high. 


88  MARKET  GARDENING 

XV.  PARSNIP 

Soil.  Sandy  loam  is  best  adapted  to  the  growing 
of  parsnips.  Heavy  soils  tend  to  produce  roots  irregular 
in  shape  and  with  numerous  fibrous  roots. 

Planting.  The  seed  should  be  sown  in  drills  as  soon 
as  the  ground  can  be  gotten  into  shape  in  the  spring. 
The  rows  should  be  sixteen  to  twenty  inches  apart  and  the 
plants  four  to  seven  inches  apart  in  the  row,  depending 
upon  the  richness  of  the  soil  and  the  size  of  the  roots  desired. 
The  whole  season  is  required  to  mature  this  crop. 

Harvesting  and  Storing.  The  roots  are  dug  out  in 
the  fall  and  the  tops  cut  off  about  one  inch  above  the 
crown.  The  roots  are  then  ready  for  storing.  In  digging 
the  roots,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  plough  along  one  side,  or 
both  sides  of  the  row,  ploughing  away  from  the  plants. 
This  leaves  the  roots  partly  exposed  and  easily  dug. 

The  roots  may  be  stored  in  pits  out  of  doors,  or  in 
cellars.  If  stored  in  a  cellar,  the  roots  should  be  kept  buried 
in  moist  sand  to  prevent  their  shrivelling. 

Parsnips  are  hardy  and  may  be  left  in  the  ground  over 
winter.  The  claim  is  often  made  that  freezing  improves 
the  quality. 

XVI.  SALSIFY 

This  vegetable,  because  of  its  flavor,  is  generally  known 
as  "  oyster  plant."  Its  cultural  requirements  are  the  same 
as  for  the  parsnip. 

XVII.     PEA 

Soil.  The  pea  does  well  on  a  variety  of  soils  if 
well  supplied  with  humus.  The  lighter  soils  are  best  for 
early  results,  but  for  the  main  crop  and  heavy  yields,  heavier 
soils  are  best. 


CROPS  89 

Planting.  The  pea  is  a  hardy,  cool-loving  plant  and 
the  seed  should  be  sown  as  soon  as  the  ground  can  be 
worked.  The  seed  is  usually  sown  in  drills  eighteen  to 
thirty  inches  apart,  for  a  garden  crop.  As  a  field  crop, 
as  when  grown  for  canneries,  the  rows  may  be  thirty-six 
inches  apart,  or  as  is  often  done,  the  seed  is  sown  with  a 
grain  drill  and  the  crop  cut  with  a  mowing  machine.  The 
depth  of  planting  varies  from  one  to  two  inches,  depending 
upon  the  season  and  the  soil.  The  earlier  and  cooler  the 
season  the  shallower  should  the  planting  be,  while  if  the 
season  is  advanced,  or  the  soil  light,  the  planting  should 
be  deeper. 

Fertilizers.  The  pea  requires  but  little  nitrogenous 
fertilizer,  but  should  have  a  liberal  application  of  a  high 
grade,  complete  fertilizer,  containing  2%  to  3%  nitrogen, 
8%  of  phosphoric  acid  and  10%  of  potash.  Rotted 
manure  should  be  applied  at  the  rate  of  20  cords  per 
acre  and  ploughed  in. 

Varieties.  Peas  are  divided  into  two  general  types: 
smooth  peas  and  wrinkled  peas.  The  smooth  peas  are  the 
hardier  of  the  two,  and  are  adapted  for  use  as  a  field  crop 
or  a  garden  crop.  The  wrinkled  peas  are  less  hardy  than 
the  smooth  peas,  have  finer  flavor  and  are  not  adapted  for 
field  purposes. 

The  varieties  may  be  divided  into  two  groups,  com- 
prising the  dwarf  sorts  and  the  tall  or  bush  sorts. 

Gregory's  Excelsior,  Gradus,  Nott's  Excelsior,  and 
Thomas  Laxton  are  excellent  early  varieties. 

Telegraph  and  Stratagem  are  fine  late  varieties. 

Harvesting.  Peas  are  ready  for  harvesting  as  soon 
as  the  seeds  are  large  enough  to  "shell"  easily.  The  garden 
varieties  are  always  gathered  by  hand.  Two  or  more  pick- 
ings are  required,  and  care  must  be  exercised  that  the  peas 


90  MARKET   GARDENING 

do  not  become  too  hard  before  being  gathered.  Half  bushel 
and  bushel  baskets  and  bushel  boxes  are  commonly  used 
for  marketing  peas. 

The  tall  varieties  may  be  supported  in  a  number  of  ways, 
brush  being  most  commonly  used.  The  brush  should  be 
cut  as  long  as  desired  and  thrust  into  the  ground  along  the 
rows.  Wire  trellis,  or  chicken  wire,  may  also  be  used  for 
supporting  the  vines. 

XVIII.    RADISH 

The  radish  is  one  of  the  most  popular  and  easily  grown 
vegetables  that  we  have.  In  the  early  season  particularly 
is  the  radish  in  great  demand.  As  a  market  garden  crop 
the  radish  is  almost  always  grown  as  a  filler  or  companion 
crop,  but  in  the  home  garden  the  radish  is  generally  given 
a  first  choice  when  the  collection  of  seed  for  planting  is 
being  selected. 

The  radish  is  a  hardy  crop  and  gives  quick  returns.  It 
is  a  cool-loving  plant  and  may  be  planted  as  soon  as  the 
ground  can  be  prepared  in  the  spring.  As  a  greenhouse  or 
hot  bed  crop  it  is  a  universal  favorite  because  of  the  ease 
and  quickness  with  which  it  is  brought  to  an  edible  size. 

Seed.  The  seed  of  the  radish  should  be  carefully 
selected, only  thelargest  and  plumpest  seed  should  beplanted. 
Small,  inferior  seed  will  produce  a  crop  of  small  size  and 
inferior  quality  and  shape  of  roots.  The  seed  may  be 
cleaned  by  running  it  through  a  fanning  mill  or  by  screening. 
The  openings  in  the  screen  should  be  ^  of  an  inch  in 
diameter.  Plants  from  the  largest  and  best  seed  can  be 
matured  in  from  twenty-one  to  thirty-six  days;  plants  from 
small  seed  will  take  from  six  to  fourteen  days  longer  to 
reach  maturity. 


CROPS  91 

Planting.  The  seed  should  be  covered  to  a  depth 
of  from  one-half  to  three  quarters  of  an  inch.  It  is  desirable 
for  quick  germination  that  the  ground  be  thoroughly  pre- 
pared and  have  a  sufficient  amount  of  moisture.  If  planted 
by  hand,  the  seed  should  be  dropped  about  one-half  inch 
apart.  Machines  are  properly  gauged  for  planting  radish 
seed  if  set  as  directed.  The  soil  should  be  firmed  over  the 
seed  after  planting  to  bring  the  moist  earth  in  direct  contact 
with  the  seed.  To  obtain  the  finest  quality,  the  radish 
should  be  grown  as  rapidly  as  possible  and  with  plenty  of 
moisture  at  all  times. 

Marketing.  Radishes  are  ready  for  pulling  as  soon 
as  they  reach  sufficient  size.  The  plants  are  tied  into 
bunches  of  from  six  to  ten  plants  each  according  to  size 
and  the  season.  They  are  then  carefully  washed  and 
packed  in  bushel  boxes  or  baskets  for  the  market. 

The  Scarlet  Globe  and  strains  of  this  variety  are  the 
most  profitable  and  popular  sorts  to  grow, 

XIX.     RHUBARB 

Soils.  Rhubarb  can  be  grown  profitably  on  most  soils, 
if  sufficient  humus  and  plant  food  are  supplied.  For  early 
results  rhubarb  should  be  planted  in  sandy  loam,  with  a 
southern  exposure. 

Propagation.  Rhubarb  can  be  propagated  from  seed, 
but  this  procedure  is  not  very  satisfactory  because  the 
seedlings  seldom  come  true  to  the  type  desired.  The 
best  method  is  the  division  of  the  old  roots;  each  piece  of 
root  with  an  "  eye/'  or  bud,  will  produce  a  plant  of  the 
desired  qualities. 

Planting.  The  best  results  are  obtained  from  plant- 
ing in  the  spring.  The  soil  should  previously  have  been 


92  MARKET   GARDENING 

well , supplied  with  manure.  The  usual  planting  distance 
is  four  by  four  feet,  and  the  eyes  or  crowns  should  be 
covered  to  a  depth  of  six  to  eight  inches. 

Fertilizers.  Rotted  stable  manure  is  the  best  source 
of  plant  food  for  rhubarb.  This  should  be  supple- 
mented by  an  application  of  1000  pounds  or  more  of 
a  high  grade,  complete  fertilizer,  containing  6%  of  the 
nitrogen  element.  Nitrate  of  soda  should  be  applied  at 
intervals  during  the  growing  season,  at  the  rate  of  150  to 
200  pounds  per  acre.  Some  fertilizer  should  be  applied 
after  the  pulling  season  is  over,  in  order  that  the  roots  may 
store  up  plant  food  for  the  next  year's  crop.  Mulching  with 
rotted  manure  is  quite  generally  practiced  and  is  very 
beneficial. 

Thorough  cultivation  should  be  practiced  throughout  the 
growing  season,  and  irrigation  is  advisable  unless  the  natural 
supply  of  moisture  is  sufficient.  Rhubarb  requires  large 
quantities  of  water  and  no  other  crop  gives  quicker  response 
to  irrigation. 

Harvesting.  The  stalks  are  pulled  as  soon  as  they  have 
attained  sufficient  size,  and  after  the  leaves  are  trimmed 
off  close  to  the  stem,  the  stalks  are  tied  into  bundles  of 
several  stalks  each. 

Forcing.  Rhubarb  is  forced  in  the  winter  time  by 
bringing  the  large  roots  into  a  warm,  darkened  room  or 
cellar.  The  roots  are  set  in  soil  and  kept  sufficiently  moist. 
The  roots  should  be  dug  out  in  the  fall  and  stored  in  a  cool 
place.  Freezing  is  claimed  to  be  an  advantage.  When 
forced  in  the  dark,  fine  large  stalks,  surmounted  with  very 
small  leaves  are  produced.  The  roots  are  worthless  after 
having  been  forced. 


CROPS  93 


XX.     SPINACH 

Spinach  is  one  of  the  easiest  grown  and  most  popular  of 
the  salad  crops.  It  is  unexcelled  for  boiling.  A  home 
garden  is  not  complete  without  it. 

Planting.  The  seed  may  be  planted  in  the  spring  as 
soon  as  the  ground  can  be  prepared,  or  planting  may  take 
place  in  the  early  fall.  Spinach  is  a  cool-loving  plant  and 
does  best  only  during  the  cooler  parts  of  the  season. 

The  seed  should  be  sown  in  drills  sixteen  to  eighteen 
inches  apart.  When  fall  sowing  is  done  to  produce  a  crop 
for  the  spring  harvest,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  make  beds  some- 
what higher  than  the  general  level  of  the  ground,  that  the 
plants  may  have  proper  drainage.  The  beds  should  be  wide 
enough  for  six  or  more  rows  of  spinach.  As  freezing  weather 
approaches,  the  plants  should  be  covered  with  straw  or 
strawy  manure,  to  prevent  successive  freezing  and  thawing 
which  would  tend  to  lift  the  plants  and  destroy  them.  As 
soon  as  the  spring  opens,  the  mulch  should  be  removed. 

Harvesting.  The  plants  are  usually  harvested  by  cut- 
ting the  tap  root  just  under  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
This  is  easily  accomplished  with  the  use  of  a  sharpened  hoe. 
The  outer  leaves  should  be  removed  and  the  plants  washed 
before  packing  for  market.  For  a  local  market,  the  bushel 
box  is  a  favorite  package,  but  for  shipping  to  a  distant 
market,  the  barrel  or  bushel  basket  should  be  used.  The 
barrel  should  be  covered  with  burlap  but  the  basket  should 
have  a  slatted  cover. 

Fertilizers.  The  ground  must  be  well  fertilized  that 
the  plants  may  make  a  maximum  growth.  Heavy  appli- 
cations of  rotted  manure  and  a  dressing  of  a  complete 
high  grade,  chemical  fertilizer  should  be  made  previous  to 
sowing  the  seed. 


94  MARKET   GARDENING 


XXI.     SQUASH 

Soil.  A  well  fertilized,  medium  to  light  soil  is  the 
most  desirable  in  which  to  grow  squashes.  The  success 
in  growing  the  crook-neck  or  patty-pan  type  of  squash  is 
dependent  to  a  large  degree  upon  having  a  soil  that  will 
warm  up  early  in  the  spring.  This  is  no  less  true  with  the 
Hubbard  squash  and  other  varieties  that  require  a  long 
growing  season  to  attain  maturity  before  frosts  in  the 
fall. 

Planting.  The  general  practice  is  to  plant  in  hills 
from  four  by  four  feet,  for  the  crook-neck  and  patty-pan 
types  to  ten  by  twelve  feet  for  the  Hubbard  squash.  The 
seed  should  not  be  planted  until  danger  of  frost  is  passed 
and  the  ground  has  become  sufficiently  warmed. 

To  obtain  earliest  results,  the  seed  may  be  planted  in 
pots  or  baskets,  in  a  hot  bed  or  green-house,  four  to  six  weeks 
before  being  set  in  the  open.  When  transplanting,  great 
care  must  be  taken  that  the  ball  of  earth  is  disturbed  as 
little  as  possible. 

Harvesting.  The  summer  squashes  are  harvested  as 
soon  as  they  attain  sufficient  size  to  become  salable. 

The  fall  and  winter  kinds  should  be  allowed  to  ripen 
on  the  vines  before  being  harvested.  The  squash  should  be 
gathered  with  all  of  its  stem  intact;  the  vine  should  be  cut 
about  an  inch  each  side  of  the  stem.  Unless  the  weather 
is  too  severe,  the  squashes  may  be  left  piled  in  the  field 
until  the  stems  have  become  thoroughly  dried  before  being 
placed  in  storage. 

Storing.  The  storage  must  be  warm  and  dry,  the 
temperature  being  held  at  50°  to  55°  F.  It  is  customary 
to  have  stove  or  furnace  heat  in  squash  store-houses.  The 
squashes  keep  best  T"hen  stored  on  ventilated  shelves,  piled 


CROPS  95 

not  more  than  three  deep.     The  bottom  shelf  should  be  at 
least  one  foot  from  the  floor  to  provide  good  air  drainage. 

XXII.     SWEET   CORN 

Soils.  Sweet  corn  can  be  grown  successfully  in  any 
fertile  soil,  but  the  best  results  are  obtained  in  newly  broken 
sod  land,  or  in  sod  land  ploughed  in  the  fall  previous  to 
growing  the  corn. 

•  Planting.  The  earliest  sweet  corn  brings  the  high- 
est prices,  the  grower  should  therefore  select  such  lands 
as  warm  up  earliest  in  the  spring,  and  plant  early,  making 
successive  plantings  until  danger  of  frost  is  past,  when  the 
undesired  plants  are  hoed  out.  A  succession  of  crops  are 
obtained  by  planting  such  varieties  as  will  give  succession, 
or  by  planting  one  variety  of  corn  at  intervals  during  the 
season.  Sweet  corn  is  usually  planted  in  drills  thirty  inches 
to  four  feet  apart.  The  distance  between  plants  in  the  rows 
should  vary  with  the  variety  from  ten  inches  for  the  smaller 
growing  kinds  to  a  foot  or  more  for  the  larger  growing  kinds. 
When  grown  in  hills,  two  to  three  plants  in  a  hill  are 
sufficient. 

Transplanting.  Sweet  corn  can  be  transplanted  suc- 
cessfully and  profitably  if  handled  properly.  The  seed 
should  be  planted  in  pots  or  baskets  not  over  four  weeks 
previous  to  setting  in  the  field.  In  transplanting,  great 
care  must  be  taken  not  to  disturb  the  roots.  Two  plants 
in  a  three-inch  pot  are  as  many  as  should  be  grown  Each 
pot  should  provide  plants  for  one  hill. 

Fertilizer.  Rotted  stable  manures  applied  at  the  rate 
of  20  cords  to  the  acre  are  very  desirable  sources  of 
plant  food  for  corn.  Chemical  fertilizer  containing  4% 
nitrogen,  8%  phosphoric  acid  and  10%  potash  should  be 
applied  at  the  rate  of  1000  to  2000  pounds  per  acre. 


96  MARKET   GARDENING 

Cultivation.  Frequent  and  thorough  cultivation  should 
be  practiced,  horse-drawn  implements  being  used  until  too 
much  damage  is  done  the  growing  crop. 

Varieties.  Golden  Bantam,  Crosby  and  Red  Cob  Cory 
are  good  early  varieties.  Country  Gentleman  and  Sto- 
welPs  Evergreen  are  the  most  popular  and  desirable  of  the 
later  varieties. 

XXIII.     TOMATOES 

Soil.  The  tomato  can  be  grown  successfully  on  most 
soils,  provided  they  are  fertile  and  well  drained.  On 
the  lighter  soils,  such  as  sandy  loams,  the  earliest  fruits 
are  produced,  but  the  fruit  usually  is  not  so  firm  and  meaty 
as  when  it  is  produced  on  heavier  soil.  The  yield  is  usu- 
ally somewhat  heavier  on  the  lighter  soils  than  it  is  on  the 
heavier  soils. 

Planting.  For  earliest  results,  the  seed  must  be  sown 
under  glass  about  the  first  of  March.  The  seedlings 
may  be  transplanted  into  flats  being  set  three  by  three  or 
four  by  four  inches,  or  they  may  be  set  in  pots  or  berry 
baskets.  A  three-inch  pot  is  suitable  for  the  first  trans- 
planting. As  the  plants  become  larger  and  the  roots  begin 
to  fill  the  pots,  they  should  be  shifted  into  larger  pots.  This 
procedure  should  be  repeated  until  the  conditions  are  right 
for  setting  the  plants  in  the  field. 

The  first  bud  cluster  should  be  pinched  out.  This  will 
cause  the  plants  to  branch  out  and  the  formation  of  several 
bud  clusters  in  place  of  the  one  removed.  If  the  plants  are 
well  handled  and  have  not  been  allowed  to  crowd  or  become 
spindly,  they  may  have  blossoms  or  small  tomatoes  on  them 
when  set  in  the  field.  If  the  transplanting  is  done  care- 
fully, and  the  plants  have  been  properly  hardened,  the 
blossoms  and  small  fruit  will  continue  to  develop  normally. 


CROPS 


97 


98  MARKET  GARDENING 

Fruit  from  such  plants  can  be  had  in  forty  to  forty-five 
days. 

Fertilizers.  The  soil  should  be  liberally  supplied  with 
rotted  manure,  ploughed  under  and  thoroughly  incor- 
porated with  the  soil  by  discing.  A  high  grade,  complete 
fertilizer,  containing  4%  nitrogen,  8%  phosphoric  acid  and 
10%  potash,  should  be  applied  at  the  rate  of  1000  to  2000 
pounds  per  acre  just  previous  to  setting  the  plants  in  the 
field. 

Training.  In  general  practice,  the  plants  are  set  three 
by  three  to  four  by  five  feet  apart,  and  the  plants  are 
allowed  to  rest  on  the  ground  as  they  become  larger  and 
bear  fruit.  Pruning  the  vines  and  training  them  to  stakes 
is  sometimes  practiced  in  the  field.  When  the  plants  are  to 
be  staked  and  pruned,  they  should  be  set  eighteen  inches 
apart  in  the  row.  A  stake  is  provided  for  each  plant  and 
the  plant  is  kept  pruned  to  a  single  stem.  After  a  sufficient 
number  of  clusters  of  fruit  have  been  set,  the  top  of  the 
plant  is  cut  off.  As  the  lower  leaves  become  old  and  spotted 
they  should  be  pruned  or  entirely  cut  off.  It  is  an  advan- 
tage to  shake  the  plants  every  day  when  they  are  in  blossom 
to  aid  in  setting  the  fruits. 

Harvest  ng.  Tomatoes,  whether  grown  for  a  local  or 
distant  market,  should  be  gathered  before  becoming 
entirely  ripe.  At  the  height  of  the  season  the  fruit  should 
be  gathered  every  day. 

Tomatoes  are  marketed  in  small  splint  baskets  holding 
five  to  ten  pounds  each,  also  in  bushel  boxes  and  baskets. 


INDEX 


Asparagus,  53-56. 
blanching,  55. 
cultivation,  54. 
fertilizers  for,  55. 
harvesting,  55. 
planting,  53,  54. 

Bacteria,  10. 
Beans,  56,  57. 

cultivation,  56,  57. 

fertilizers  for,  57 

harvesting,  57. 

planting,  56. 

supports  for,  56. 

varieties,  57. 
Beets,  57-61. 

fertilizers  for,  59,  61, 

marketing,  59. 

planting,  59. 

soil  for,  57. 

storage  of,  61. 

transplanting,  59. 
Blanching,  55,  67,  71. 

asparagus,  55. 

celery,  67,  71. 
Brussels  Sprouts,  64. 
Bushel  baskets,  50. 
Bushel  box,  48. 

Cabbage,  61-64. 
club  foot,  16. 


Cabbage,  cultivation,  63. 

fertilizers  for,  63. 

harvesting,  63. 

planting,  61. 

soil  for,  61. 
Catch  Crops,  18. 
Cauliflower,  64-67. 

fertilizers  for,  66. 

harvesting,  66. 

planting,  66. 

soils  for,  64. 
Celery,  67-73. 

blanching,  71. 

cultivation  of,  69. 

fertilizers  for,  69. 

harvesting,  68,  69,  70. 

marketing,  69. 

planting,  67. 

storing,  71,  72. 
Combination  tools,  3,  8. 
Companion  Cropping,  20,  62,,  79 

97. 

Composting,  10,  11. 
Crates,  48. 
Cucumbers,  73-75. 

cultivation,  75. 

fertilizers  for,  73. 

harvesting,  73,  75. 

soil  for,  73. 


Dandelion,  75. 


99 


100 


INDEX 


Dandelion,  harvesting,  74,  75. 
Dibbers,  30. 
Disc  harrow,  5. 
Dust  mulch,  5. 

Egg  Plant,  76. 

fertilizer  for,  76. 

planting,  76. 
Exposure  of  Gardens,  2. 

Fertilizers,  9-18. 

chemical,  12-15. 

commercial,  11. 

complete,  15. 

composting,  10. 

hot  manures,  10. 

kinds,  9. 

stable  manure,  9,  10,  11. 
Fire  fanging,  11. 

Gardens,  36-42. 
Germination,  25. 
conditions  for,  27. 

Horse  radish,  76-78. 

harvesting,  78. 

planting,  78. 
Hot  beds,  19-23,  36. 

care  of,  23. 

construction,  21,  22. 

heating,  19. 

location,  19. 

manure  for,  21,  22. 
Humus,  10. 

Irrigation,  32-36. 
amount  of,  35. 
furrow,  34. 
methods  of,  33,  34,  35. 


Irrigation,  requirements,  32. 
sprinkler  system,  34,  35. 

Labor,  2. 
Legumes,  16,  17. 
Lettuce,  78,  81. 

fertilizers,  80. 

harvesting,  80. 

planting,  80. 

soils  for,  78. 

varieties,  80,  81. 
Lime,  15,  16. 
Location  of  market  garden,  1 

Manure,  9,  10,  11. 

composting,  10. 

effects  of,  17. 

green,  16. 

kinds  of,  9,  10. 
Market,  1. 

Moisture  requirements,  32, 
Musk  melon,  81,  82. 

fertilizer  for,  82. 

harvesting,  82. 

planting,  81. 

soil,  81. 

Nitrate  of  soda,  13. 
Nitrogen,  12-14. 
Non-legumes,  17. 
Nodules,  16. 

Onions,  82-87. 

cultivation,  83,  84. 
fertilizers  for,  87. 
harvesting,  85. 
planting,  84. 
sets,  85. 


INDEX 


101 


Onions,  soil  for,  82. 
varieties,  87. 

Packing,  49-52. 

crates  and  baskets,  50,  52. 
Parsnips,  88. 
Pea,  88-90. 

fertilizers  for,  89. 

harvesting,  89,  90. 

planting,  89. 

soil,  88. 

varieties,  89. 
Perennials,  36. 
Phosphoric  Acid,  14. 
Planting,  28. 
Ploughing,  5. 

under,  17. 
Potash,  14. 

Radish,  90,  91. 

planting,  91. 

marketing,  91. 

seed,  90. 
Rhubarb,  91,  92. 

fertilizers,  92. 

forcing,  92. 

harvesting,  92. 

planting,  91. 

propagation,  91. 

soils,  91. 

Rock  phosphate,  14. 
Root  crops,  43. 

Salsify,  88. 
Seed,  24-29. 

germination  of,  25. 

planting,  28. 

quality  of,  24. 

selection  of,  24. 


Seed,  sowing,  28. 

testing,  25,  27. 

viability  of,  24. 
Seed  beds,  27,  28. 
Seed  drill,  7,  8,  42. 
Seedlings,  25,  26. 

transplanting,  29,  30. 
Smoothing  harrow,  7. 
Soil,  1,  2. 

acidity,  7,  8,  42. 

of  market  garden,  5. 

preparation  of,  15. 
Spinach,  93. 
Squash,  94. 

storing  of,  94. 
Storage,  38,  43,  52. 

temperature,  48. 
Storing;    J  ,''»'-,',     > 

beets,  6l\\]  I  V  , 

cabbage,  38,  45,, 46,  49,  68. 

c^lej  V.;4S,  ( 4fj,  i  47>  Vl : , ;  ]  \ } 
in  crates,  51. 

onions,  45,  46,  85. 

parsnips,  44,  88. 

root  crops,  38,  43,  143. 

squash,  94. 
Sweet  Corn,  95,  96. 

cultivation,  96. 

fertilizer,  95. 

planting,  95. 

varieties,  96. 

Thomas  Slag,  14. 
Tools,  42. 
Tomatoes,  96-98. 

fertilizers  for,  98. 

harvesting,  98. 

planting,  96. 

soil  for  96. 


102 


INDEX 


Tomatoes,  training,  98. 
Transplanting,  29,  30,  31, 

Vegetable  garden,  36-42. 
•  cultivation  of,  38. 

home,  36-38. 

place  of,  41. 

plan  of,  37, 


Vegetable  garden,  Plots,  39. 
preparation  of,  39. 
school,  38-42. 

Water,  3. 

Wheel  hoes,  7,  8,  42. 
Wind  breaks,  2. 
Wrapping  in  paper,  52. 


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POULTRY.  By  Professor  J.  C.  GRAHAM,  Massachusetts  Agricultural 
College.  (In  preparation.) 

SOILS.     By  Professor  A.  G.  McCALL,   Ohio  State  University.     (In 

preparation.) 

AGRICULTURAL  CHEMISTRY,  By  Professor  T.  E.  KEITT, 
Clemson  Agricultural  College.  (Ready  September,  1915.) 

INJURIOUS  INSECTS.  By  Dean  E.  D.  SANDERSON  and  Professor 
L.  M.  PEAIRS,  West  Virginia.  University.  (Ready  September,  1915.) 

AGRICULTURAL    DRAFTING.      By  CHARLES  B.  HOWE,  M.E. 

46  pages,  8  by  10%-    45  figures,  22  plates      Cloth,  $1.25  net. 

STUDIES  OF  TREES.  By  J.  J.  LEVISON,  Forester,  Park  Depart- 
ment, Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  x+253  pages,  5M  by  8.  156  half-tone 
illustrations.  Cloth,  $1.60  net. 

MARKET  GARDENING.  By  Professor  F.  L.  YEAW,  Oasis  Farm 
&  Orchard  Company,  Roswell,  New  Mexico.  Formerly  Professor 
of  Market  Gardening,  Massachusetts  Agricultural  College,  vi-f- 
120  pages,  5  by  7.  36  figures.  Cloth,  75  cents  net. 


FIELD   AND   LABORATORY   MANUALS   IN 
AGRICULTURE 

Studies  of  Trees:  Their  Diseases  and  Care.  By  J.  J.  LEVISON, 
M.F.,  Lecturer  on  Ornamental  and  Shade  Trees,  Yale  University 
Forest  School,  Forester  to  the  Department  of  Parks,  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.  20  pamphlets,  8  by  10^.  $1.00  net.  Sold  separately  if 
desired.  Price  each  5,  10,  or  15  cents  according  to  size. 

Exercises  in  Farm  Dairying.  By  Professor  C.  LARSEN,  De- 
partment of  Dairy  Husbandry,  South  Dakota  State  College. 
Loose  leaf.  8  by  10j^.  69  Exercises.  Single  Exercises  two  cents 
each.  Complete,  $1.00  net. 

Exercises   in  Poultry   Raising.     By  Professor  J.  C.  GRAHAM, 

Massachusetts  Agricultural  College.     (In  preparation.) 

Farm  Crops  and  Soils.  By  Professor  A.  G.  McCALL,  Depart- 
ment of  Agronomy,  Ohio  State  University.  (Ready  September, 
1915.) 

Exercises  in  Agricultural  Chemistry.  By  Professor  T.  E.  KEITT, 
Clemson  Agricultural  College.  (In  preparation.) 

THE    LOOSE    LEAF   LABORATORY    MANUAL 

A  series  of  carefully  selected  exercises  to  accompany  the  texts 
of  the  Series,  covering  every  subject  in  which  laboratory  or  field 
work  may  be  given.  Each  exercise  is  complete  in  itself,  and  is 
printed  separately.  These  will  be  sold  by  the  single  sheet  as 
selected  or  where  preferred  will  be  bound  in  paper  cover. 

Exercises  in  General  Chemistry.  By  CHARLES  M.  ALLEN, 
Head  of  Department  of  Chemistry,  Pratt  Institute.  An 
introductory  course  in  Applied  Chemistry,  covering  a  year's 
laboratory  work  on  the  acid-forming  and  metallic  elements  and 
compounds.  62  pages,  8  by  10^.  61  exercises. 

Selected  exercises  as  desired,  to  fit  an  ordinary  binder,  two  cents 

each.     Complete  in  paper  cover,  $1.00  net. 

Exercises  for  the  Applied  Mechanics  Laboratory.     By  J.  P. 

KOTTCAMP,  M.E., Instructor  in  Steam  and  Strength  of  Materials, 

Pratt  Institute.     Steam;  Strength  of  Materials;   Gas  Engines; 

and  Hydraulics.     8  by  10^.     55  exercises,  with  numerous  cuts 

and  tables. 

Selected  exercises  as  desired,  to  fit  an  ordinary  binder,  two  cents 
each.  Complete  in  paper  cover,  $1  net. 

Quantitative  Chemical  Analysis.  By  CHARLES  M.  ALLEN,  Head 
of  Department  of  Chemistry,  Pratt  Institute.  12  pamphlets. 
8  by  lQi/2-  Complete  in  paper  cover,  $1.00  net.  Single  pam- 
phlets furnished  if  desired.  Price  according  to  size. 


THE  LOOSE  LEAF  LABORATORY  MANUAL— Cant. 

Exercises  in  Industrial  Chemistry.  By  Dr.  ALLEN  ROGERS. 
Instructor  in  Qualitative  Analysis,  Pratt  Institute.  (In  prep- 
aration.) 

Technical  Chemical  Analysis.  By  R.  H.  H.  AUNGST,  Instructor 
in  Technical  Chemistry,  Pratt  Institute.  19  pamphlets.  8  by 
10^2.  Complete,  85  cents  net.  Single  pamphlets  if  desired, 
5  cents  each. 

Qualitative  Chemical  Analysis.  By  C.  E.  BIVINS,  Instructor  in 
Qualitative  Analysis,  Pratt  Institute.  11  pamphlets,  supple- 
mented by  Work  Sheets  by  which  the  student  is  taught  equa- 
tions and  chemical  processes.  Complete  with  work  sheets  in 
paper  cover,  $1.25  net.  Work  sheets  one  and  two  cents  each. 
Pamphlets  separately  according  to  size. 

Elementary  Electrical  Testing.  By  Professor  V.  KARAPETOFF, 
Cornell  University,  Ithaca,  N.  Y.  25  exercises,  50  cents  net. 
Single  exercises,  two  cents  each. 

Exercises  in  Mechanics.  By  J.  M.  JAMESON,  Girard  College; 
Formerly  Pratt  Institute.  52  exercises.  Single  exercises  two 
cents  each.  Complete  in  paper  cover,  85  cents  net. 

Exercises  in  Heat.  By  J.  A.  RANDALL,  Instructor  in  Mechanics 
and  Heat,  Pratt  Institute.  13  exercises,  with  numerous  cuts 
and  diagrams.  Single  exercises  two  cents  net  each. 

Exercises  in  Electricity,  A.  C.  and  D.  C.  By  W.  H.  TIMBIE, 
Head  of  Department  of  Applied  Science,  Wentworth  Institute. 
49  Exercises.  Single  exercises,  two  cents  each.  Complete  in 
paper  cover,  85  cents  net. 

SHOP   TEXTS 

MACHINE  SHOP  PRACTICE.  By  W.  J.  KAUP,  Special  Repre- 
sentative, Crucible  Steel  Company  of  America,  xii+199  pages, 
5M  by  8.  163  figures.  Cloth,  $1.25  net. 

PATTERN  MAKING.  By  FREDERICK  W.  TURNER  and  DANIEL 
G.  TOWN,  Mechanic  Arts  High  School,  Boston,  v+114  pages, 
5  by  7.  88  figures.  Cloth,  $1.00  net. 

TOOL  MAKING.  By  W.  J.  KAUP,  Special  Representative,  Crucible 
Steel  Company  of  America,  and  J.  A.  CHAMBERLAIN,  Supervisor 
of  Manual  Training,  Washington,  D.  C.  (In  preparation.) 

A    SHOP    MATHEMATICS    FOR    MACHINISTS.      By    R.    W. 

BURNHAM,  Instructor  in  Machine  Work,  Pratt  Institute  Evening 
School.     5  by  7.     175  figures.     Cloth, 


PRACTICAL    SHOP     MECHANICS    AND     MATHEMATICS. 

By  JAMES  F.  JOHNSON,  Superintendent  of  the  State  Trade  School. 
Bridgeport,  Conn,  viii  -f- 130  pages,  5  by  7.  81  figures.  Cloth, 
$1.00  net. 

DRAFTING  AND  DESIGN 

DECORATIVE  DESIGN.     A  Text-Book  of  Practical  Methods. 

*  By  JOSEPH  CUMMINGS  CHASE,  Instructor  in  Decorative  Design  at 
the  College  of  the  City  of  New  York  and  at  Cooper  Union  Woman's 
Art  School.  (In  press.) 

AGRICULTURAL  DRAFTING.  By  CHARLES  B.  HOWE,  M.E. 
viii +63  pages,  8  by  10%.  45  figures,  26  plates.  Cloth,  $1.25  net. 

ARCHITECTURAL  DRAFTING.  By  A.  B.  GREENBERG,  Stuy- 
vesant  Technical  High  School,  New  York,  and  CHARLES  B.  HOWE, 
Bushwick  Evening  High  School,  Brooklyn.  Lviii+110  pages, 
8  by  10%.  53  figures,  12  plates.  Cloth,  $1.50  net. 

MECHANICAL  DRAFTING.  By  CHARLES  B.  HOWE,  M.E. 
Bushwick  Evening  High  School,  Brooklyn.  (In  Press.) 

ENGINEERING  DRAFTING.  By  CHARLES  B.  HOWE,  M.E., 
Bushwick  Evening  High  School,  Brooklyn,  and  SAMUEL  J.  BERARD, 
Sheffield  Scientific  School,  Yale  University. 

THE  LOOSE  LEAF  DRAWING  MANUAL.  Reference  and 
Problem  Sheets  to  accompany  the  texts  of  Agricultural  and  Archi- 
tectural Drafting.  These  will  be  furnished  singly  as  selected,  and 
are  designed  to  enable  the  instructor  to  adapt  his  instruction 
closely  to  the  needs  of  his  class.  Price  two  cents  each. 


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